The history of Porto runs from the Roman settlement of Portus at the mouth of the Douro to a medieval bishop's town, a merchant city of the Port wine trade and the city whose historic centre UNESCO inscribed as the Historic Centre of Oporto in 1996. The name of Portugal comes from Portucale, the county that took its name from the settlement.
This page lists the main dates in the history of Porto and the people who shaped its monuments.
Timeline of Porto
- 1st century BC: the Romans name the settlement at the mouth of the Douro Portus, or port.
- 1096: King Afonso VI of León gives the County of Portucale to his daughter Teresa and her husband, Henry of Burgundy.
- 1113 to 1114: the diocese of Porto is restored under Bishop Hugo.
- 1120: Countess Teresa gives the town and its surrounding land to Bishop Hugo.
- 1123: Bishop Hugo grants the town its charter, which encourages trade and settlement.
- 12th century: work begins on the cathedral on the hill of the Sé.
- 1325: work begins on the royal customs house near the river, today known as the Casa do Infante.
- 14 February 1387: King João I marries Filipa de Lencastre in Porto Cathedral.
- 1394: Infante Dom Henrique, known as Henry the Navigator, is born in Porto.
- 1415: according to tradition, the people of Porto give their meat to the fleet sailing to Ceuta and keep only the tripe, which gives them the name tripeiros.
- 1732 to 1763: Nicolau Nasoni builds the Clérigos Church and Tower.
- 1820: the liberal revolution begins in Porto.
- 1832 to 1833: the liberal forces of King Pedro IV hold Porto during the Siege of Porto, in the civil war between Liberals and Absolutists.
- 1837: the Bolhão market begins as an open square.
- 1842: the Porto Commercial Association begins the Palácio da Bolsa.
- 1877 and 1886: the Maria Pia railway bridge and the Luís I bridge open over the Douro.
- 31 January 1891: soldiers of the Porto garrison lead a republican revolt, remembered in the name of Rua 31 de Janeiro.
- 5 October 1916: São Bento Station opens.
- 1996: UNESCO inscribes the historic centre on the World Heritage List.
- 2001: Porto is a European Capital of Culture.
- 15 April 2005: Casa da Música opens.
- 15 September 2022: the Bolhão Market reopens after its restoration.
People in the history of Porto
- Bishop Hugo: the bishop who received the town from Countess Teresa in 1120 and granted its charter in 1123.
- Infante Dom Henrique (1394 to 1460): the son of King João I and Filipa de Lencastre, born in Porto, who directed the Portuguese voyages along the African coast.
- Nicolau Nasoni: the Italian architect who designed the Clérigos Church and Tower, the galilee of the cathedral and the Casa do Despacho of São Francisco.
- José Marques da Silva: the Porto architect who designed São Bento Station.
- Álvaro Siza: the Porto architect who designed the museum of Serralves, opened in 1999.
Places to visit in Porto
Porto, Portugal
Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Serra do Pilar
Palácio da Bolsa
Livraria Lello
Foz do Douro
Clérigos Church and Tower
Church of São Francisco
São Bento Station
Porto Cathedral
Serralves
Casa da Música
Bolhão Market
History of Porto
Visiting Porto