Praça do Infante D. Henrique - Porto, Portugal - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com

"Origin of the name
This square, in the heart of the Historic Centre of Porto , pays homage to Prince Henry the Navigator — the most important figure at the beginning of the Portuguese discoveries — who, according to tradition, was born nearby, in the so-called Casa do Infante , in 1394 .

History
The land that currently forms the square, with a steep slope, was an integral part of the enclosure of the Convent of São Domingos, located in the neighboring Largo de São Domingos .

With the victory of Liberalism in the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834) and the consequent extinction of male religious orders , decreed in 1834 , the land, located right in front of its new headquarters, the Palácio da Bolsa , ended up being acquired by the Porto Commercial Association with the intention of urbanizing it. The opening of the streets Nova da Alfândega ( 1871-1875 ) and Mouzinho da Silveira ( 1875 ), with the already existing streets Bolsa and Ferreira Borges , completely delimited the space. The construction of highly prestigious buildings ended up giving the square a unique monumentality. The square's grounds were eventually handed over to the Porto City Council so that it could promote its beautification.
In the presence of King Carlos , in 1894 the ceremony of laying the first stone of the monument to Prince Henry the Navigator , designed by the sculptor Tomás Costa , took place . The statue, cast in Paris, was inaugurated in 1900.
As part of the works undertaken by Sociedade Porto 2001 , an underground car park with 319 spaces was built and the square's landscaped area was remodelled.

Points of interest
Building of the former Banco Comercial do Porto
Port Wine Institute Building
Statue of Prince Henry the Navigator , in the center of the square.
Church of St. Francis
Church of St. Nicholas
Ferreira Borges Market ( IIP ), at the top of the square.
Stock Exchange Palace ( MN )"

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/22/2025 GURUGU visited it