Freedom Square

Walking in Porto along the picturesque Rua das Floris, which is a street of gold and silver craftsmen, you can walk to the beautiful square of Portugal. The central square of the city is Freedom Square, surrounded by numerous buildings built in the XIX-XX centuries.

Freedom Square is located in the southern part of the city, near one of the central highways of the city. The appearance of the square on this place goes back to the beginning of the XVIII century. In 1718, urban development began to be brought into a single orderly system, as a result of which new streets and squares appeared. Initially, the square was bordered by medieval fortress walls that have not survived to this day. In 1788, a monastery was built on the south side of the square, replacing the medieval wall. This monastery, known as the Cardosas Palace, has survived to this day and has been one of the main buildings on Liberty Square for more than 200 years. In the XIX century, there were several events that increased the importance of the square in the life of the city - the municipality moved here, and later a bridge and a railway station were built nearby. Freedom Square became the political, economic and social center of Porto. And in 1866, a monument to King Peter IV, who gave Portugal a constitution, was opened here. The sculpture in the form of a rider now rises in the center of the square.

The appearance of the square changed after 1916, when the municipality building was demolished and the Boulevard Avenida dos Aliados was laid north of the square. Nowadays, there are banks, hotels, restaurants and numerous offices around Liberty Square.