Liberdade Square (Porto)

Liberdade Square and the monument to King Peter IV.

Liberdade Square

Liberdade Square (Liberty or Freedom Square; Portuguese: Praça da Liberdade) is a square in the city of Porto, Portugal. It is located in Santo Ildefonso parish, in the lower town (Baixa) area. The square is continuous on its north side with the Avenida dos Aliados, an important avenue of the city.

The square has its origins in the beginning of the 18th century. It was in 1718 that a project for the urbanisation of the area begun, which resulted in the creation of new streets and an ample square, known as Praça Nova (New Square). The square was initially limited by the medieval walls of the city and by urban palaces, all of which are now lost.

After 1788, the religious order of Saint Eligius (known as Lóios, in Portuguese) built a convent on the south side of the square that replaced the medieval wall; the imposing Neoclassical façade of the convent, nowadays known as the Cardosas Palace (Palácio das Cardosas) is the oldest extant building of the square, dominating the south side of the square for over 200 years.

During the 19th century, several factors increased the importance of the square. The municipality moved to a building on the north side of the square after 1819, and towards the end of the century facilities like the D. Luís Bridge (1887) and São Bento Train Station (1896) were opened nearby. Liberdade Square was a political, economical and social centre for Porto.

In 1866 a monument dedicated to King Peter IV, a monarch closely linked to Porto, was inaugurated in the middle of the square. The monument, by French sculptor Anatole Calmels, consists of a statue of Peter IV riding a horse and holding the Constitution that he had fought to protect during the Liberal Wars.

The appearance of the square was much altered after 1916, when the municipality building was demolished and the Avenida dos Aliados, a modern boulevard, was built to the north of the square. The buildings around Liberdade Square and the avenues are occupied by banks, hotels, restaurants and offices. It is an important tourist attraction of the city.

References

Liberdade Square and surrounding area in the Portuguese Institute for Architectonic Heritage.

Coordinates: 41°08′47″N 8°36′41″W / 41.1465°N 8.6114°W / 41.1465; -8.6114

Porto

Libraries and bookstores	Biblioteca Almeida Garrett Biblioteca Infantil Biblioteca Pública Municipal do Porto Livraria Lello & Irmão

Houses and Palaces	Casa Aristides Ribeiro Casa da Pedra Casa da Prelada Casa das Artes Casa de Ramalde Casa da Rua de D. Hugo Casa de Serralves Casa do Beco dos Redemoinhos Casa do Dr. Domingos Barbosa Casa do Infante Casa dos Maias Casa Manoel de Oliveira Casa Primo Madeira Casa Tait Casa Vicent Palacete de Belomonte Palacete dos Condes de Santiago de Lobão Palacete Manuelino Palacete dos Viscondes de Balsemão Palácio da Bolsa Palácio da Justiça Palácio das Sereias Palácio de São João Novo Palácio do Freixo Palácio dos Carrancas Solar das Virtudes Solar do Conde de Bolhão Torre Medieval do Porto Torre de Pedro-Sem

Streets and squares	Avenida Rodrigues de Freitas Avenidas da Boavista e do Marechal Gomes da Costa Campo Alegre e Arrábida Foz Velha Passeio Alegre Passeio das Virtudes Passeio Marítimo e Avenida Montevideu Praça da Batalha Praça da Liberdade, Avenida dos Aliados e Praça do General Humberto Delgado Praça de D. João I Ribeira Rotunda da Boavista Rua Álvares Cabral Rua de Cedofeita Centro Histórico do Porto

Buildings	Antiga Casa da Câmara Antigo Clube dos Ingleses Bloco de Costa Cabral Bloco Luso-Lima Casa Arte Nova na Rua Cândido dos Reis Rua de José Falcão Casa Arte Nova na Rua da Galeria de Paris Casa na Rua de São Miguel Colégio dos Maristas Edifício da Liga dos Combatentes Edifício do Aljube Edifício Mutual Edifício na Rua das Taipas Edifício na Rua de Pereira Reis Edifício Parnaso Feitoria Inglesa Oporto Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club Ourivesaria Cunha Palácio Atlântico

Fountains	Chafariz da Colher Chafariz da Rua das Taipas Chafariz da Rua de São Domingos Chafariz da Rua de São João Chafariz da Rua Escura Chafariz das Virtudes Chafariz de São Miguel Chafariz do Jardim de São Lázaro Chafariz do Passeio Alegre Fonte das Oliveiras Fonte dos Leões

Gardens	Jardim Botânico Jardim da Cordoaria Jardim da Praça da Corujeira Jardim da Praça da República Jardim de São Lázaro Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

Bridges	Ponte da Arrábida Ponte de D. Luís Ponte de D. Maria Pia Ponte de São João Ponte do Freixo Ponte do Infante Ponte Pênsil

Farms	Quinta da Macieirinha Quinta da Prelada Quinta da Revolta Quinta de Bonjóia Quinta de Vilar d'Allen Quinta do Viso

Kiosks	Quiosque do Serviço de Transportes Colectivos do Porto Quiosque na Praça Marquês de Pombal Quiosque na Praça Mouzinho de Albuquerque Quiosque no Largo da Ramadinha Quiosque no Largo Mompilher

Theatres and cinemas	Auditório Nacional Carlos Alberto Casa da Música Cinema Batalha Coliseu do Porto Teatro de São João Teatro Rivoli

Universities	Faculdade de Arquitetura Faculdade de Belas-Artes Faculdade de Economia Planetário e Centro Astrofísico Reitoria

Other monuments	Alfândega Nova Cadeia da Relação Café Majestic Câmara Municipal do Porto Estação de São Bento Estádio do Bessa Estátua equestre de D. Pedro IV Farol da Senhora da Luz Farol de São Miguel-O-Anjo Hospital de Santo António Hotel D. Henrique Mercado do Bolhão Mercado Ferreira Borges Obeliscos da Quinta da Prelada Pavilhão Rosa Mota Pelourinho do Porto Restaurante Comercial

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