"Undedrstading the city up to the 20th century"

"Undedrstading the city up to the 20th century" [R.Martins e G.Furtado, Compreensão da cidade do Porto até ao século XX, in: AAVV, Artecapital, Lisboa, Junho 2021, s.p. ISSN 21847029] 1. The city of Porto was established in a stable coastal and granite region, as Daveau notes, next to the River Douro1 . It was the valley of this river that defined the morphology of the landscape up to its mouth and (along with other watercourses) urbanity. According to Moreno, the population found a way of communicating and trading there2 , which was crucial for socio-cultural and economic development. In fact, there are traces going back to prehistoric times, as well as finds of strategic settlements to control the basins, and areas to exploit resources and access roads that make up a system around Morro da Sé (img.1), according to Corrêa3 (map.1). Traces of a town wall near the cathedral indicate the original nucleus as well as the appropriation of structures from the Castro culture and the Romanization of the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. After the Cantabrian wars of 29 BC. - 19 BC, and Augustus' reforms, Lusitania was separated by the Douro and integrated into the Tarraconense province, in an administrative reorganization based on urban centers structured by a road network, as explained by Ramos4 , and the emergence of Callaecia, which became autonomous as a province at the end of the 3rd century. Until Asturian rule, Morro da Sé was called Calem5 , as the same author explains, an intermediate point on the north-south route from Lisbon (ab Olisipone) to Braga (Bracara), located between Lancobriga (Castro de Fiães, Santa Maria da Feira) and Bracara (Braga). The name Portucale comes from the civitas "Cale" and its port, by which the country itself will be called. Foundations that would give rise to the city that would be called Porto, on the Morro da Sé. The evolution of Portucale, as Machado explains, went through a period of conflict, due to the Germanic evasions of the western Roman Empire, fragmenting it into provinces. During this period of Suevi and Visigoth domination, there was regional instability, in which Portucal's protagonism emerged and became significant in the High Middle Ages. During this period, occupation of the riverside area increased. At the end of this period, the Muslims conquered the north of the Iberian Peninsula and advanced across the Strait of Gibraltar in 712 AD, subduing Lusitania and Portucale6 . Subscribe to DeepL Pro to edit this document. Visit www.DeepL.com/pro for more information. However, in 820, Vímara Peres, a Christian vassal of Afonso III of Asturias and founder of the town of Vimaranis (now Guimarães), reconquered the Minho and Douro region and became the first Count of Portucale. For 50 years, the region was abandoned until 868, when repopulation and urban renewal began. From then on, he assumed political and military prominence with the creation of the county. Ramos points out that Porto emerged into history on the eve of Portugal7 . He goes on to explain that in the medieval period it became a city confined within a wall at the top of Pena Ventosa. This was the image that the English crusaders, according to Ramos,8 came across when, at the invitation of Bishop Pedro Pitões, they visited a small town. Pedro Pitões, a small town with a cathedral-hermitage. With the arrival of Bishop Hugo in 1114, according to Barroco, "a new phase of relative uniformity emerged in terms of the pace of expansion and development" 9 . In this small nucleus, according to Corrêa, the political and religious powers were grouped together, "in the castle and houses inside the old wall"10 . Inside the fence, in the mid-12th century, there was a hermitage-cathedral, a cemetery, houses for the prelate and the clergy, and houses for the inhabitants, a municipal palace, made of wood on the foundations of the old Visigoth hermitage, next to the cathedral. According to Machado, it was from this moment that Porto slowly broke out of the old enclosure. This was a common phenomenon in the West, but later in Portugal, and was justified by the political circumstances with Castile11 . It was only after the conquests of Santarém and Lisbon (1147), securing coastal dominance over the Tagus, that the northern regions gained security, and so Porto grew with the securing of Estremadura and Beiras. It went from being a Porto-city, behind a fence and with only a hermitage at the bottom, to a "city" called Vila Baixa, in downtown Porto, as Ramos explains. The city is located next to the river, and no longer expresses itself as a "bishop's town, but rather a crossroads"12 . With the new image of "Porto-city", it distances itself from its relationship with the bishop and embraces the bourgeoisie. As the same author explains, the urban development of the late 14th century is expressed by the growth beyond the walls, towards the suburbs around the most important communication routes (Ruas Direitas and Ruas Novas) with a more rectilinear and wider layout, according to Teixeira13 . Several Ruas Novas were built and became important as the city's structuring axes and for commerce14 . In Porto, Rua Nova, with D. João I, had an impact on redefining the riverside area and its connection to the high ground. As the city expanded, another fence (map.2) was needed to defend the city, in the middle of the 14th century (Fernandina) during the reign of King Afonso IV15 .According to Ferreira, the wall was functional, responding to the permeability of mercantile life with a system of gates and wickets (eight gates and four wickets are mentioned in 1402): "de Cimo de Vila; do Olival; de Miragaia; postigo dos Banhos; postigo de sob as casas de Gonçalo Martins; de sob as casas de Vasco Pires; da Fonte da Ourinha; da Ponte das Tábuas; da Ribeira; postigo de João Ancho; and postigo da Lada16 . During the second half of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, there was a movement of urban renewal and expansion, associated with the structuring of roads, public spaces and buildings, both institutional and residential (neighborhoods), following regular urban principles, with reference to the construction of the Lóios and the convent of Santa Clara. Regulatory, planning, hygiene and maintenance measures were adopted, expressing concern about the state of urban insalubrity, with the densification of houses and narrow streets, as Rossa explains17 . Porto developed around various urban centers that dominated the profile of the borough. The royal intervention in the riverside area led to a change in the criteria of power, and the clergy were sent to Morro da Sé. At the end of the 15th century, with the leasing of the land of the Dominican convent fence, new buildings were built and streets opened, which allowed the rapid urbanization of the banks of the Rio da Vila, up to Rua dos Carros, as Real and Tavares explain18 . In the 16th century, Portugal entered a succession crisis. The throne was delegated to Philip I (II of Spain), beginning the Philippine dynasty in Portugal. During this period, socio-economic transformations took place, generating new developments. Priority was given to continuing the urbanization of the banks of the Rio da Vila and the axis connecting the riverside area to the Porta dos Carros, as explained by the same authors19 . In the case of the banks of the Rio da Vila, new buildings appeared, the monastery of S. Bento de Ave Maria (1518) (img.2); São Bento da Vitória (at the end of the 16th century) (img.3); the Anjo lighthouse (1538) (img.4) and the Torre da Marca (1542) (img.5), according to Moreira20 ; the Church of São João da Foz (1546), beginning the settlement of Foz do Douro; and the opening of two structuring streets in the city, Rua de Santa Catarina, and Rua das Flores (1521), according to Ramos21 . In the 17th century, still under Spanish rule, the city grew denser inside the walls, with an increase in population, and only with some expression in the streets leading out. Buildings were erected, such as the first Court of Appeal (1607) (img.6), and the churches of the Discalced Carmelites (1658) (img.7) and the Congregation of the Oratory (1680) (img.8). Public green spaces appeared, the AlamedaGarden of Cordoaria. Places for the public were gradually redeveloped, such as the fountain in the vegetable garden field, that of Our Lady of Battle and that of the Flemish. At the end of the 17th century, public spaces became more present than at the beginning of the century. The Campo das Hortas and 1 the various rossios in the city were urbanized, following the example of the Praça da Ribeira (img.9). Public spaces outside the city walls played a structuring role in the city's development, as Ramos explains22 . At the beginning of the 18th century, the city had little expression outside the walls. However, the Almadino plan (by João de Almada e Melo) aimed to renovate the city and order growth on the main access roads. The streets of Cedofeita, Santa Catarina, Rua Direita (now Rua de Santo Ildefonso), Reimão (now Avenida Rodrigues Freitas, Quartéis (now Rua de D. Manuel II), Calçada da Natividade (now Rua dos Clérigos) and Rua Nova das Hortas were restructured, following concepts of urban unity, where the architectural ensemble was privileged and not the isolated building. This plan resulted in new squares, such as São Roque (between Rua do Souto and Rua das Flores) and Santo Ovídio; the renovation of Ribeira, and the opening of São João and Almada streets, with a wider profile and sidewalks, forming a structuring longitudinal axis in the city, from Ribeira square to Santo Ovídio, according to Alves23 . The building works and reconstructions progressed: Palácio do Freixo, in the middle of the century; works on the Sé's main chapel (1729); the Guerra Junqueiro House-Museum next to the Sé (1730) (img.10); the Church of Santo Ildefonso, at the top of Rua Direita (1739) (img.11); reconstruction of the Church of Misericórdia (1748) (img.12); the Casa do Despacho da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco (1752); the Church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa (1755) (img.13); the reconstruction of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Vitória (1755); the Church of Nossa Senhora do Terço (1759) (img.14); the Church and Tower of the Clérigos (1763) (img.15); the reconstruction of the Court of Appeal (1765); the start of construction of the Hospital de Santo António (1770) (img.16); the construction of the Santo Ovídio Barracks (img.17), as described by Ramos24 . Towards the end of the 18th century, the city gradually expanded to the outlying areas and the wall was gradually demolished (map.3). In the 19th century, as Ferrão explains, the shape of the city began to change, supported by Rua do Almada and the city's five exit routes. The cartographies (1813; 1839; 1865; 1892) define three areas that characterize the evolution of the urban structure: the central core between Calvário Street, Calçada dos Clérigos, Largo Santo Ildefonso, Rua do Postigo Sol and the Douro; a larger central area between Cedofeita and Santa Catarina streets, with Praça da Républica as the northern boundary; and the third, the peripheral area structured by the city's five exit routes: to Matosinhos, Viana do Castelo, Braga, Guimarães and Penafiel25 . According to Oliveira, the 1813 plan identifies the streets of Flores and Belmonte, with an organic layout, and the streets of Ingleses (now Rua do Infante D. Henrique) and S. João, with a regular design. João, with a regular design, the latter being the initial section that extends through Rua do Almada, the central axis of the city's expansion in the 19th century, connecting the squares of Ribeira and Santo Ovídio (now Praça da Républica). In the new streets, the buildings follow a regular layout, using patterned elements that are repeated in the composition of the façades. In addition to the first two areas (core and extended central area), there are two areas where an orthogonal grid is drawn, one to the north of Santo António Hospital and the other corresponding to Bonfim. The first zone is structured by the streets of Adolfo Casais Monteiro, do Rosário, Miguel Bombarda and do Breiner. The second, more consolidated area is made up of the streets of Santa Catarina, Alegria, Formosa and Fernandes Tomás, as the author explains26 . Also in this period, there is the memory of the ferry bridge (1806-1809) and the construction of the Royal Marine and Commerce Academy of the city of Porto (1807), according to Silva27 . The 1839 plan shows a number of changes, in addition to the consolidation of the two zones identified in the peripheral area. They identified two urbanization zones: one based on the extension of Rua da Boavista to the west, the other located to the east of Praça da República and structured by Rua Gonçalo Cristóvão and Rua de Camões. The area to the north of the Hospital de Santo António was built up with streets opened up at the beginning of the century. In the Bonfim area, in addition to the buildings, the opening of Rua Firmeza and the extension of Rua de Fernandes Tomás and Rua da Alegria, as explained by the same author28 . This period also saw the opening of the São Lazaro garden (1834), the afforestation of Praça Nova (now Praça da Liberdade, in 1838), and the opening of the Anjo and Bolhão markets to the public (1839) (img.18). The 1865 plan shows the construction of the Palácio da Bolsa within the central core (img.19), thus demarcating a new financial center and symbolizing the power of the commercial association created in 1813. In the peripheral area, the four previously identified zones evolved29 . Finally, the construction of the Crystal Palace (1865) (img.20), in the western part of the city, decisively marked the beginning of the westward expansion, as explained by Oliveira30 . Also noteworthy in this period was the inauguration of the suspension bridge (1843) and the rail link from Lisbon to Vila Nova de Gaia, with a terminus at Devesas station (1864). The 1892 plan represents the entire city, including Foz. The wider central area, immediately outside the core area, is delimited by the streets of Cedofeita, Boavista, Antero de Quental, Constituição and Santos Pousada. In the peripheral area we can see the development of two east-west axes: Avenida da Boavista (opened up to Fonte da Moura in 1892) and Rua da Constituição. In the central core, Rua do Mouzinho da Silveira became the main axis of communication between the river and Praça da Liberdade. As for 26 - OLIVEIRA, Vítor Manuel Araújo, "A Evolução das Formas Urbanas de Lisboa e Porto nos Séculos XIX e XX", Porto, U.Porto editorial, 2013, page 113; 27 SILVA -, Augusto Santo - A Burguesia Comercial Portuguesa e o Ensino da Economia - O exemplo da Escola do Porto (1837 - 1838) "Análise Social", nº 61-62, Lisbon, 1980; 28 -OLIVEIRA, Vítor Manuel Araújo, "A Evolução das Formas Urbanas de Lisboa e Porto nos Séculos XIX e XX", Porto, U.Porto editorial, 2013, page 114; 29 -To the north of the Hospital de Santo António, the extension of Rua Adolfo Casais Monteiro, and on the other hand the almost complete construction of the east-west axes. First, the streets of Breiner and Miguel Bombarda. Secondly, they correspond to Bonfim, with the opening of two new streets, Santos Pousada and Moreira, which stitch together the existing fabric. Thirdly, the extension of Rua da Boavista and the construction of a structuring facility at the end of this axis, the Military Hospital. It can be seen that the pace of construction is not keeping pace with the Boavista road. The fourth area, to the east of Santo Ovídio square, has not undergone any significant changes in the 16 years between the two plans 30 - Ibi Idem, page 114-115; the expanding peripheral areas, to the north of the Hospital de Santo António, it is stabilized, with the same boundaries, while in Lapa and Bonfim, the development of the network continued. In the eastern part of the city, there is the development of a set of radial streets around Largo do Cemitério do Prado do Repouso, which form the basic structure of this area. Also noteworthy are the various structures that appear in the time interval, such as the inauguration of the railway section of the Minho line to Nine, and the Douro line to Penafiel; and the completion of the connection between Boavista station and Póvoa de Varzim (1875), the inauguration of the D. Maria bridge, which allows the train to pass through to Porto (1877) (img.21), the construction of the Port of Leixões (1884-95), the opening of the Ferreira Borges Market31 (1885) (img.22), the landscaping of the Infante D. Henrique square (1887). Based on the various authors referenced throughout this text, it is possible to understand the city of Porto at the turn of the 20th century. The great challenges that the city faced in terms of the use of space and its development. Lessons that we must not forget in order to improve our understanding of what existed underneath it. 2 - REFERENCES 1 - DAVEAU, Suzanne, "L'evolution géomorphologique quaternaire au Portugal, "Supl. Bol.", AFEQ, nº 50, INQUIA, 1977; 2 - MORENO, Humberto Baquero, "A Navegabilidade do rio Douro nos séculos XVI e XVII, "Gaya", nº 5, Vila Nova de Gaia, 1990; 3 -CORRÊA, Mendes, "As Origens da Cidade do Porto" 1935, 2nd edition (revised and expanded), page 13; 4 -RAMOS, Luís A. De Oliveira, "História do Porto", Porto Editora, 1994, page 81; 5 - Ibi Idem, page 83; 6 - MACHADO, António de Sousa, "As Origens da cidade do Porto" Ed. do A, 1980, pages 65-66; 7 - RAMOS, Luís A. De Oliveira, "História do Porto", Porto Editora, 1994, page 120; 8 - Ibi Idem, page 124; 9 -BARROCA, Mário J., "As escavações de Mendes Correia na Cividade (1932) e as origens da cidade do Porto", "Arqueologia", nº 10, Porto, 1984; 10 - CORRÊA, Mendes, "As Origens da Cidade do Porto" 1935, 2nd edition (revised and expanded), page 14; 11 - MACHADO, António de Sousa, "O Porto Mediévico", Editores Tavares Martins, 1968, Porto, pages 53-54; 12 - RAMOS, Luís A. De Oliveira, "História do Porto", Porto Editora, 1994, page 135; 13 - Ibi Idem, page 141; 14 - TEIXEIRA, Manuel C.; VALLA, Margarida - O Urbanismo Português: Séculos XIII-XVIII Portugal-Brasil, Livros Horizonte, 1999, p. 30; 15 - RAMOS, Luís A. De Oliveira, "História do Porto", Porto Editora, 1994, page 138; 6 Vereações -(anos de 1401-1449), ed. J. A. P. Ferreira, Porto, 1980 ; 17 ROSSA -, Walter, "A urbe e o traço: uma década de estudos sobre o urbanismo português. Coimbra: Almedina", Livraria Almedina, 2002, pag.242 ; 18 -REAL, Manuel Luís, TAVARES, Rui - "Bases for understanding the urban development of Porto". Povos e Culturas, nº 2. Lisboa: Centro de Estudos dos Povos e Culturas de Expressão Portuguesa",1987, pag. 399 ; 19 - Ibi Idem, page 400; 20 - MOREIRA, Rafael, "Arquitectura: Renascimento e classicismo. In: PEREIRA, Paulo (Dir. de) - História da arte portuguesa. Lisbon: Temas e Debates, 1995-1999, vol. 2, page 303; 21 -OLIVEIRA, José Manuel Pereira de - "Espaço urbano do Porto: Condições Naturais e desenvolvimento", Centro de estudos Geográficos Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra, 1973, pp. 242-243 ; 22 - RAMOS, Luís A. De Oliveira, "História do Porto", Porto Editora, 1994, p.263; 23 - ALVES, Joaquim Jaime B. Ferreira, "Oporto at the Time of the Almadas: Architecture. Obras Públicas", Faculdade de Letras do Porto, Porto, volume 1, 1988, p. 203; 24 - RAMOS, Luís A. De Oliveira, "História do Porto", Porto Editora, 1994, p. 381; 25 - FERRÃO, Bernardo José, "Projeto e Transformação Urbana do Porto na Época dos Almadas 1758/1813", Edições FAUP, 1989, Porto, p. 205; 31 -SOUSA, Fernando de - Jornal de Notícias. The memory of a century (1888-1988), Porto, 1989 3 - BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES: ALVES, Joaquim Jaime B. Ferreira, "Oporto at the Time of the Almadas: Architecture. Obras Públicas", Faculdade de Letras do Porto, Porto, volume 1, 1988; BARROCA, Mário J., "As escavações de Mendes Correia na Cividade (1932) e as origens da cidade do Porto", "Arqueologia", nº 10, Porto, 1984; CORRÊA, Mendes, "As Origens da Cidade do Porto" 1935, 2nd edition (revised and expanded); DAVEAU, Suzanne, "L'evolution géomorphologique quaternaire au Portugal, "Supl. Bol.", AFEQ, nº 50, INQUIA, 1977; FERRÃO, Bernardo José, "Projeto e Transformação Urbana do Porto na Época dos Almadas 1758/1813", Edições FAUP, 1989, Porto MACHADO, António de Sousa, "O Porto Mediévico", Editores Tavares Martins, 1968, Porto; MACHADO, António de Sousa, "As Origens da cidade do Porto" Ed. do A, 1980; MOREIRA, Rafael, "Arquitectura: Renascimento e classicismo. In: PEREIRA, Paulo (Dir. de) - História da arte portuguesa. Lisbon: Temas e Debates, 1995-1999, vol. 2 MORENO, Humberto Baquero, "A Navegabilidade do rio Douro nos séculos XVI e XVII, "Gaya", nº 5, Vila Nova de Gaia, 1990; OLIVEIRA, Vítor Manuel Araújo de Oliveira, "A Evolução das Formas Urbanas de Lisboa e Porto nos séculos XIX e XX", U.Porto Editorial, Porto, 2013; RAMOS, Luís A. De Oliveira, "História do Porto", Porto Editora, 1994; REAL, Manuel Luís, TAVARES, Rui - "Bases for understanding the urban development of Porto". Povos e Culturas, nº 2. Lisboa: Centro de Estudos dos Povos e Culturas de Expressão Portuguesa",1987 ROSSA, Walter, "A urbe e o traço: uma década de estudos sobre o urbanismo português. Coimbra: Almedina", Livraria Almedina, 2002 SILVA, Augusto Santo - A Burguesia Comercial Portuguesa e o Ensino da Economia - O exemplo da Escola do Porto (1837 - 1838) "Análise Social", nº 61-62, Lisbon, 1980; SOUSA, Fernando de - Jornal de Notícias. The memory of a century (1888-1988), Porto, 1989 TEIXEIRA, Manuel C.; VALLA, Margarida - O Urbanismo Português: Séculos XIII-XVIII Portugal-Brasil, Livros Horizonte, 1999, p. 30; Vereações (anos de 1401-1449), ed. J. A. P. Ferreira, Porto, 1980;