Porto Cathedral

The Cathedral of Porto, locally known as the Sé de Porto, is one of the most iconic monuments in the city. Located in the heart of Porto's historic center, it is the ideal place to start your city tour, combining history, Portugal's rich religious culture, and the city views you will explore throughout the day.

For a relaxed visit, including a walk around the square, the cloister, the museum, the terrace, and the church, we recommend allowing between one and one and a half hours for your visit.

Sé de Porto

Location and Tickets

The Cathedral of Porto is located in Terreiro da Sé, a historic square with panoramic views of the city and the Douro River. The cathedral is open to the public every day, and access to the church is free. However, to visit the cloister, museum, and terrace with city views, an entrance fee of €3 is required. The visit is well worth the cost of admission.

The cathedral is easily accessible on foot from the São Bento train or metro station and other major attractions in the city.

Exterior and Square

Pelourinho

Stop at the Terreiro da Sé square to enjoy spectacular views and the vibrant atmosphere filled with tourists and street musicians. In the center of the square stands the Pelourinho, a Rococo-style column installed in 1945 as a decorative element, based on an 1797 engraving. Traditionally, pelourinhos were stone columns used during the medieval and Renaissance periods in Portugal to symbolize municipal authority and serve as a place for public punishment.

To the right of the square is the Episcopal Palace, also designed by Nasoni but completed centuries later. This palace reflects the grandeur of the Baroque style and serves as another key piece of the architectural ensemble surrounding the cathedral.

Finally, the facade of the Cathedral of Porto, originally built in the 12th century, is an impressive example of Romanesque architecture with Gothic elements added in later centuries. Its robust and fortified appearance, with twin towers and a central rose window, evokes the image of a medieval fortress. One of the Baroque elements added later was the incorporation of domes over the towers. In 1736, Nasoni added an elegant Baroque design to the side facade, further enriching the complex mix of architectural styles of the cathedral, offering an interesting contrast to the more austere architecture of the church (unfortunately in our visit was under restoration)

Does the mix of architectural styles in the Cathedral of Porto, from Romanesque and Gothic to Baroque, add to the building's appeal or result in a distracting amalgamation of diverse styles? Some may find that this fusion of styles enriches the history and aesthetics of the building, while others might consider that the combination results in a lack of visual coherence. In any case, the cathedral is an iconic symbol of Porto, along with the Clérigos Tower and the Dom Luís I Bridge.

The Cloister, Tiles, and Adjoining Rooms

The cloister of the Cathedral of Porto is a magnificent example of Gothic architecture, characterized by its pointed arches and a serene atmosphere that invites reflection. In the image, you can see the central courtyard with a cross in the center, surrounded by a series of Gothic arches that define the ground floor of the cloister.

Porto’s Cathedral cloister.

Ground Floor

On the ground floor, the blue tiles, dating from the 18th century, depict scenes from the Song of Songs, a biblical work that celebrates divine and human love. These tiles add a touch of color and art to the cold stone of the cloister, creating a fascinating visual contrast.

Terrace and Second Floor

Tiles (azulejos) Cathedral’s cloister.

You ascend the splendid stairs designed by Nicolau Nasoni, leading to the cloister's terrace. On this terrace, you can find more tiles depicting scenes of the Virgin and Ovid's Metamorphoses. The Metamorphoses is a classical work of Latin literature written by Ovid, narrating the mythological transformations of various characters in their relationships with the gods. It is unusual to find mythological references in Catholic churches, as these pagan stories are not typically part of Christian iconography. However, the presence of these scenes in the cloister tiles reflects the continuous influence of classical culture in European art and education during the Renaissance.

The Chapter House, located on the second floor, houses paintings by Giovanni Pichini dating from 1737. Near the Chapter House is a chapel that contains the tomb of João Gordo, a knight of the Order of Malta.

View from the Tower

From the first-floor terrace, a staircase leads you to one of the Cathedral's towers, where you can enjoy a spectacular panorama of the historic center, the Douro River, the Dom Luís I Bridge, and Vila Nova de Gaia on the other side of the Douro. From this elevated point, you can also see the iconic Clérigos Tower, another masterpiece by architect Nicolau Nasoni. Few cities have such an intimate relationship with an architect as Porto does with Nasoni, whose works have left an indelible mark on the city's ancient views and architectural heritage.

View from one of the Cathedral’s towers.

Interior of the Cathedral

Nave and Chapels

The Sé do Porto is a Romanesque-Gothic structure from the 12th and 13th centuries, with Baroque renovations in the 17th and 18th centuries. Although the renovations added decorative elements, the cathedral maintains a majestic simplicity in its structure, highlighted by high ceilings, robust stone blocks, and the spaciousness of the interior. The Mannerist main chapel (1610) features an 18th-century gilded altarpiece with decorations by Nasoni. In the transept, you will find the image of Nossa Senhora da Vandoma (14th century), and in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, the famous "silver altar" with biblical iconography, created between the 17th and 19th centuries, is a masterpiece of Portuguese silversmithing.

Porto’s Cathedral Nave

Nossa Senhora da Vandoma

Our Lady of Vendôme

The image of Nossa Senhora da Vandoma (Our Lady of Vendôme), located in the Cathedral of Porto, holds great historical and religious significance. She is the patroness of Porto and is credited with protecting the city during the Christian Reconquest in the 10th century. According to tradition, Gascon knights, led by the Portuguese nobleman D. Munio Viegas, brought the image to Porto after defeating the Moors and reconquering the city. The image was placed at the Porta de Vandoma and has since been venerated as the city's protector. This devotion has endured, and the image of Nossa Senhora da Vandoma is a significant symbol in Porto's coat of arms. The current image of the Virgin in the cathedral is a polychrome sculpture attributed to the 14th century.

For more information, you can visit the official website of the Diocese of Porto.

Conclusion

The cathedral is a must-see on any tour of Porto. Our philosophy is that such visits are exponentially enriched with a bit of prior study. We hope this article serves as a useful first step in your research. Our website is optimized for mobile devices, so you can bookmark it and use it during your visit if you wish. We also have a video on YouTube if you prefer an audiovisual experience. Feel free to participate in the comments if you have anything to add. Happy travels!