São Bento railway station in the heart of Porto. Sao bento railway station in the heart of porto sao bento football club

Campanhã is a Portuguese parish, located in the city of Porto. The population in 2011 was 32,659, in an area of ​​8.04 km². Located there is the Campanhã station, the most important in Porto.- Wikipedia

Things to do in Campanha

• Livraria Lello

  The Lello Bookstore (Portuguese: Livraria Lello), also known as Livraria Lello & Irmão and Livraria Chardron, is a bookstore located in civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, in the northern Portuguese municipality of Porto .

• Estádio do Dragao

  The Estádio do Dragão is an all-seater football stadium located in Porto, Portugal, and the current home ground of Futebol Clube do Porto. It has a capacity of 50,033, making it the third largest football ground in Portugal.

• Serralves

  Serralves is a cultural institution located in Porto, Portugal, and one of the most important of all the country. It includes a Contemporary Art Museum, a Park and a Villa, each one an example of contemporary architecture, Modernism, and Art Deco architecture. The Museum, designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, is now the most visited museum in Portugal (more than 300,000 visitors per year) and one of the most relevant in the contemporary art circuit in Europe.

The Palace of the National Assembly, also called the Palace of the Cortes, is located in the center and is the seat of Parliament. Despite the current political status, the palace is open to tourist groups accompanied by guides. To visit it, you must pre-register on the official website.

The palace was built in the 17th century. for the wealthy Benedictine order. The architect Afonso Alvaris chose the Mannerist style characteristic of that time: he replaced the Renaissance and was popular in Europe until the appearance in the 18th century. baroque and rococo.

A strong earthquake, from which Portugal suffered in 1755, destroyed the building completely; during the reconstruction, classical details were added to it in the exterior decoration and in the interiors. The famous portico with columns and a wide staircase leading to the entrance to the palace appeared. In 1834, the possessions of the Benedictine monks, as a result of secularization, were transferred to the state, since then Sao Bento has been a government institution.

Halls of Sao Bento Palace

During the tour, tourists can see the most popular rooms of the palace:

Surroundings of Sao Bento Palace

Around the building is also enough interesting places worth noting:

• the inner garden, which has been preserved since the time of the monks - they grew medicinal herbs there, with which they treated the sick;
• a classic mansion located in a Benedictine garden: the first head of government moved here in 1877, since then the building has been the permanent residence of all prime ministers of Portugal.
• the square in front of the São Bento Palace, where the demonstrations that preceded the Carnation Revolution of 1974 took place. Since then, it has been considered a traditional venue for any political action.

How to get to Sao Bento Palace?

The Palace of the Cortes is located in the center, next to it there is a stop, which is considered main city. best route to the palace is to take the famous tram to the Rua de Sao Bento stop, and walk from it for 1 min. on foot. In addition to tram 28, buses No. 706,727, 773 stop near the palace, the stop is called Palácio de São Bento.

Javascript is required to view this map

Train Station Sao Bento, located in the center, is not only an important transport hub of the city, but also a memorable historical and architectural object. It was officially opened to passengers in 1916, on the site of an abandoned monastery, becoming one of the most beautiful stations in Europe, retaining this unofficial status to this day. Interestingly, the first train stopped at its platform in November 1896, when the station consisted of only 3 wooden hangars used as storage facilities. However, after 20 years, instead of them, a new three-story building appeared in Porto, capable of competing with a similar building in the capital Lisbon.

The main advantage of the Sao Bento railway station is its hall, the walls are lined with the famous Portuguese azulejos tiles, which depict fragments from the history of Portugal, including magnificent paintings telling about the legendary battle of Valdevez, about the arrival of King João I with his wife Philippa of Lancaster in Porto in 1387, about the accomplishments of Henry the Navigator and the exploits of the national hero - the knight Egas Moniz. The author of these magnificent works of art was the Portuguese artist Jorge Kulas. Looking at the paintings of the master, it is hard to believe that they are not in the halls National Museum Portugal, but at the central city station. The building has long enjoyed great attention among foreign tourists, who invariably arrange a colorful photo shoot when they come here.

São Bento Station primarily serves local and suburban destinations, with trains leaving for settlements, the road to which does not exceed 60 km. They go to Lisbon from another station. All routes are served by modern electric trains of the UME-3400 series, distinguished by a decent level of comfort and high functionality. For the convenience of passengers, almost every section of the station is equipped with clocks and electronic displays, displaying the current schedule. Also, on the station territory there are cafes, restaurants and toilets. To ensure that the platforms were sufficiently light and at the same time cozy even on rainy days, glass roofs were built over them.

Sao Bento Railway Station is deservedly one of the most striking sights, representing a real work of art. In a certain sense, it is a free museum in which you can appreciate the richest cultural heritage. Rising in the central part of the city, the station harmoniously fits into the historical image of Porto and is able to decorate the home photo gallery of any traveler.

The Parliament of Portugal meets in São Bento Palace, originally built as a monastery for Benedictine monks. Behind the monumental neoclassical façade are magnificent rooms decorated with sculptures and paintings. In 1598 the Benedictines began building a new monastery to house their rapidly growing community. São Bento da Saude was designed as a large rectangular structure centered around four monasteries. In 1834, when religious orders were abolished, the government confiscated the property and placed the Parliament of Portugal here.

The building quickly adapted to its new function, but after a fire in 1895 it suffered significant damage. It was decided to carry out a major restoration and restore the building. The neoclassical design of the Ventura Terra was chosen, and in the following decades the original cloister was completely converted into a parliamentary building. Today, little remains of the classical 16th-century monastery, but one of the original four monasteries survives. However, it is one of the most prominent sights in Lisbon.

Exterior of Sao Bento Palace

The most impressive aspect of São Bento Palace is its monumental neoclassical façade. The large central portico has five porches surmounted by a balcony with thirteen Corinthian columns that support a thirty-metre-wide pediment. The reliefs on the tympanum were created by the Portuguese sculptor Simoas de Almeida. The central allegorical figure represents the homeland and is surrounded by eighteen different statues symbolizing the different foundations of society.

Two lions sculpted by Raul Xavier guard the wide staircase leading to the main entrance of the palace. In front of the entrance are four marble statues representing Foresight, Justice, Strength and Patience.

Interior of the Sao Bento Palace

Passing through the portico, you enter the main atrium, formerly located in the chapel. It is decorated with busts depicting prominent Portuguese parliamentarians. Passages on the left side lead to the main staircase of the palace, built between 1936 and 1937.

The largest and most luxurious halls in Sao Bento Palace are located on both sides of the atrium. These are the Senate and Parliamentary chambers. The Senate Chamber was built in 1867 by French architect Jean-Francois Colson. The semi-circular hall with a glass and iron skylight has two balconies supported by colossal columns. The Parliament Chamber opened in 1903 after the original hall was destroyed by fire in 1895. The semicircular hall is decorated large sculptures and a huge lute written by Veloso Salgado.

Sao Bento Gardens

Behind the palace is the French-style garden of São Bento Palace, with geometrically arranged flower beds laid out on a terraced slope. The garden is decorated with fountains, niches and statues of sphinxes.