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PORTO
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. ... The Porto metropolitan area has around 1.8 million people.
On the Douro River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centers, and its core was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. The historic area is also a National Monument of Portugal. Settlement dates back to the 2nd century BC, when it was an outpost of the Roman Republic.
Port wine, one of Portugal's most famous exports, is named after Porto. Since the 13th century, wines from the Douro Valley had been transported to Porto in flat-bottomed barcos rabelos.
By 1717, English firms had established trading posts in Porto and began dominating the port wine trade. In response, Prime Minister Marquis of Pombal created a state-controlled wine company and demarcated the Douro region—Europe's first protected wine region. --Wikipedia
Barcos rabelos historically navigated the turbulent Douro River by relying on a flat-bottom hull, a large square sail, and a massive steering oar (espádela) operated by a crew standing on an elevated platform (apégada). Today, these traditional vessels serve as popular tourist attractions rather than cargo boats. --Cooltour Oporto
This building is Edifício Seguradora "A Nacional" located on Liberdade Square. It was originally built in 1925 to serve as headquarters of "A Nacional" Insurance Company. It now houses luxury apartments.
Monument to Prince Henry the Navigator created by Tomás Costa. The prince is pointing towards the ocean.
Half Rabbit by Bordalo II
Café Majestic originally opened in 1922. It was designed to look like a Parisian cafe in the Art Nouveau style by the architect José Pinto de Oliveira. It was originally an exclusive and upmarket cafe that acted as a place for the elitist members of society to meet. The café went through decades of decline, until it was considered a building of national historical interest in 1983. After major restoration works, it reopened in July 1994 in the original Belle Époque style. Since the 1980s it has become iconic in Porto and is a popular destination in the city. --Wikipedia
Serralves is a cultural institution located in Porto. It includes a contemporary art museum, a park, and a villa, with each one of these being an example of contemporary architecture, Modernism, and Art Deco architecture. The museum, designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, is now the second most visited museum in Portugal.
The Serralves Museum opened in 1999 in order to give Porto a space dedicated to contemporary art. The programming combines in-house production of exhibitions with co-productions with international institutions, enabling the circulation of works by both Portuguese and foreign artists. --Wikipedia
Untitled by Robert Morris 1967
by Alexander Calder
Plantoir by Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen
Casa de Serralves is a villa and museum located inside the park of Serralves. Owned by the Serralves Foundation, the house was built by the second Count of Vizela, Carlos Alberto Cabral and designed by the architect José Marques da Silva. It is an example of Streamline Moderne architecture in Portugal.
In addition to serving as the Foundation's head office, the building is an extension of the Museum of Contemporary Art, used for the presentation of temporary exhibitions. Its façade overlooks the Rua de Serralves and the main entrance located in the Avenida Marechal Gomes da Costa, Casa de Serralves is a significant example of Art Deco style. The building was constructed on the outskirts of Porto between 1925 and 1944, combining neoclassical, romantic and art deco elements. --Wikipedia
SETÚBAL
Setúbal lies within the Lisbon metropolitan area, about 50 kilometres from Lisbon. In 2014 the population of the municipality was more than 118,000. It is a relatively small and quiet community with beautiful parks, good restaurants and easy access to ocean beaches.
The city served as a royal residence during the reign of King John II (1481–95). With the exception of the church of the former Monastery of Jesus (begun 1490) and the 16th-century Castelo de São Filipe, the older buildings of Setúbal were almost totally destroyed in the catastrophic Lisbon earthquake of 1755. --Britannica
There is a lot of public art in Setúbal. Here are some examples:
Rotunda dos Lápis
Monument to Anti-Fascist Resistance, Freedom and Democracy by José Aurélio 2005
The Cat and the Wind by Ricardo Romero
Girl With a Suitcase by João Duarte
Girl With a Bicycle by João Duarte
Community market:
Folar da Páscoa Easter bread with egg shells still intact:
Fort of São Filipe de Setúbal, also referred to as the São Filipe Castle or the São Filipe Fortress, is in the city of Setúbal in the Setúbal District, of Portugal. The fort was built on the orders of Philip II of Spain (Philip I of Portugal), who personally witnessed the laying of the cornerstone of the new fortification in 1582. It stands in a dominant position on the right bank of the mouth of the Sado River, overlooking the centre of Setúbal to its east and guarding access to the river. --Wikipedia
Chapel inside of Fort São Filipe:
Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Cabo, an 18th century church located at Cabo Espichel in Sesimbra near Setúbal.
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