Porto and the North

A view down one of the aisles of the Igreja de São Francisco in Porto. During the early 18th century the Gothic church was extensively decorated with exuberant gilt wood work (talha dourada) by some of Portugal's most notable wood carvers. This is particularly apparent in the aisles and on the ceiling.

It is said that up to 500 kg of Brazilian gold were used in coating this elaborately carved wood. 

This is the Session Room  in the Dispatch House of the Order of São Francisco in Porto. It is in the same building as the Catacombs which dates back to the mid-18th century.

Despite much of the church having been deconsecrated the board of the Venerable Order of Saint Francis still meets in this room.

It is an impressive room for a number of reasons, not least the ceiling. Dating back to 1748 it was created by the master José Martins Tinoco, according to a design by architect Nicolau Nasoni who also designed the rest of the building.

Now a guest house, the 1872 House on Porto's riverside most likely long predates its current name. Sitting just across the road from the Igreja de São Francisco and next door to McDonald's the coloured glass of this passageway has become quite iconic. There is a door at the end of the structure that was presumably added to give access from street level on Rua do Infante D. Henrique.

Whilst the exterior of the Igreja de São Francisco in Porto is a fine example of Gothic architecture it is the outstanding Baroque inner decoration for which this church is best known.

A nod to Portugal's Moorish heritage on Rua de José Falcão in Porto. The building dates back to 1899 and it is no accident that it is covered in particularly fine azulejos tiles. Originally this was a showroom and warehouse for the Devesas ceramics factory, situated in Vila Nova de Gaia.

As far as I know the building was home to a restaurant until relatively recently but has since become office space.

McDonald's in Porto city centre is often cited as the most "beautiful" of all its near 40,000 locations throughout the world. Situated in the old Cafe Imperial this site is a wonderful example of Art Deco architecture both inside and out.

The cafe became a McDonald's back in 1995 and thankfully virtually all its period features have been retained. Inside the building is some wonderful stained glass and a sizeable crystal chandelier.

The most notable feature though remains the bronze eagle sculpture above the entrance. This was created by sculptor Henrique Moreira.

Occupying a prime position on Porto's riverside between the Ribeira and Alfândega is this McDonald's. This isn't quite as iconic as the other McDonald's in Porto on Avenida dos Aliados which is set in the Art Deco Imperial Cafe, but it is still a fine building, with arguably a better location.

The interior of the Igreja da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco (Church of the Venerable Third Order of São Francisco). This church sites between the better known Church of São Francisco and the House of Dispatch.

The church was built at the end of the 18th century in a Classical style, which was something of a departure from the Baroque which had become more or less ubiquitous at during the 1700s.

The interior we see here is fairly ostentatious by most people's standards, but compared to the church next door it is fairly restrained.

The Gothic entrance to the Igreja de São Francisco next to the Baroque facade of part of the Palacio do Bolsa. All this was once part of a Franciscan monastery but with the 1834 Dissolution of the monasteries act the church was deconsecrated - and actually used as a warehouse.

Work commenced on the adjoining Bolsa Palace (stock market building) around this time with parts of the church being incorporated. If you look at the green metal grille on the centre window you will notice it has 'BOLSA' on it.

A closer look at a small part of the decor that covers the interior of the Igreja de São Francisco in Porto. 

Perhaps the most opulent church in Portugal, the Gothic building dates back to the 13th century. However the interior is somewhat more recent and was part of an early Baroque remodeling in the 18th century.

It is said the interior is decorated with up to 500 Kg of gold in the form of gold gilt wood carvings. Looking at this small section, particularly higher up, it wouldn't be surprising if this turned out to be a conservative estimate.