Casa do Infante - Porto, Portugal
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member razalas
N 41° 08.436 W 008° 36.874
29T E 532346 N 4554436
[PT]A Casa do Infante, ou Casa da Rua da Alfândega Velha é um dos edifícios mais antigos da cidade do Porto.[EN]The Casa do Infante, also known as the Alfândega Velha (Old Customs House) is a historical house in the city of Oporto.
Waymark Code: WMCTA6
Location: Porto, Portugal
Date Posted: 10/10/2011
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member coisos
Views: 9

[PT]
Edifício onde, segundo a tradição, terá nascido o Infante D. Henrique. Foi mandada construir em 1325 por D. Afonso IV e funcionava como habitação régia, Casa da Moeda e Alfândega régia, mantendo a sua actividade até 1859. Hoje é sede do Arquivo Histórico do Porto, que reúne importantes documentos históricos, como a Carta de Foral da Cidade. Escavações realizadas no edifício descobriram vestígios de ocupação romana, visíveis no museu aí criado. Ponto integrante da Rota Urbana do Vinho.

Fonte: (visit link)


[EN]
The mediaeval customs house of the city of Oporto started being built around 1354 under King Afonso IV in the context of disputes between the king and the Bishop of Oporto. The king's intention was to charge taxes for goods carried by ships navigating the Douro river, thereby reducing the power of the bishop. The new Royal Customs House was built near the river (Ribeira) and included a mint, storage house and living quarters for the employees. Archaeological excavations revealed that the building was large and had two high towers linked by a courtyard. Starting in the 15th century, the customs house has undergone several expansions and remodellings that have greatly altered its original structure.

The most important remodelling occurred in 1677 under King Peter II, when the customs house was virtually rebuilt. The inner courtyard was kept, but the towers were greatly reduced in height, while the front building, facing the street, gained two extra storeys, with a large staircase leading to the living quarters in the second floor. The front building incorporated the functions of the towers. The storage houses were greatly enlarged. This 17th-century remodelling is celebrated on a commemorative plate in the courtyard dated from 1677.

In the second half of the 19th century a new customs house was built by the river in the Miragaia neighbourhood, and the old customs house ceased its activities. The façade was again modified between the 19th and the 20th centuries, with the addition of a new storey. A plate commemorating Prince Henry's 500th birth anniversary was inaugurated on the façade in 1894. In the mid-20th century the house was restored by the state.

In the 1990s the whole complex was the subject of archaeological surveys that greatly helped understand the evolution of the building. Besides the mediaeval findings, the archaeologists found the vestiges of a large Roman building, including remains of mosaic pavement that can now the seen inside. The Casa do Infante now houses an exhibition about the history of Oporto (including a scale model of the city in the Middle Ages) as well as the Municipal Archive.

(visit link) link)
Designação (Name): Casa da Rua da Alfândega Velha

Categoria de protecção (Classification): MN - Monumento Nacional

Categoria/Tipologia (Type of heritage): Arquitectura Civil / Casa

Concelho (City): Porto

Página do Património na base de dados da DGPC (Page of the Heritage at the DGPC database): [Web Link]

Wikipedia: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
[PT]
- Por favor forneça pelo menos uma foto tirada durante a sua visita.
- Por favor escreva um pouco sobre a sua visita. Diga o que achou. Gostou?

[ENG]
- Please provide at least a photo you have taken during your visit.
- And please write a little about your visit. Tell us what you thought, did you liked it?

Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Património Português (Portuguese Heritage)
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log  
Ariberna visited Casa do Infante - Porto, Portugal 08/22/2022 Ariberna visited it
Astartus visited Casa do Infante - Porto, Portugal 04/25/2016 Astartus visited it
bmps2003 visited Casa do Infante - Porto, Portugal 12/05/2015 bmps2003 visited it
Casper&Aero visited Casa do Infante - Porto, Portugal 09/20/2013 Casper&Aero visited it
dieSulzer visited Casa do Infante - Porto, Portugal 12/30/2012 dieSulzer visited it
B_M_A visited Casa do Infante - Porto, Portugal 01/07/2012 B_M_A visited it

View all visits/logs