Pieces of Portugal – Part 17 – A Cathedral In Porto

Once in Porto, we had yet another very full, jam-packed day. I know, you’re all shocked at that. 🙂 We had yet another fun and interesting tour planned, but before our tour, I will share the cathedral we visited before meeting up with our tour guide.

Porto is on one side of the Douro River and Gaia is on the other side. As per the norm on this trip, there is a lot to share, so I will once again break it into portions. Today I am giving you the “religious” portion of our tour. It would be overwhelming, if I gave you everything we did all at once. 🙂

Porto offers a perfect blend of historic charm, stunning river views, rich culture, and world-renowned wine. It is the second major city in Portugal, behind the capitol Lisboa, and it has a lot more of a relaxing vibe to it than Lisboa. Gaia, or Vila Nova de Gaia, is on the other side of the Douro River and is home to the famous port wine manufacturers. There has been a long rivalry between the two cities that dates back to the 13th century.

We are on one of the bridges in Gaia with Porto in the background.

There are roughly 4300 churches in Portugal, most of which are Catholic. There is no way of of not visiting these beautiful and ornate cathedrals and churches when visiting Portugal. They are everywhere, and are very much a part of Portugal’s rich history. Church and state were, and still are, very much connected and tied together in Portugal. Catholicism in Portugal is not just a religion, but is the way of life.

One of the ceilings in the cathedral.

The rooftop views.

Back inside the cathedral. There are definitely churches in Portugal, but most of what we saw were cathedrals. The difference, as I understand it, is that churches are generally thought of as generic places of Christian worship, whereas cathedrals serve as the seat of a bishop and the central church of a diocese, often characterized by grand architecture and very ornate, elaborate decorations. Cathedrals symbolize teaching authority. Basilicas are churches with a special designation from the Pope due to their historical or spiritual significance.

The rooftop view of the city of Porto

I will leave it here for now. After touring the church or cathedral, or basilica, we met up with our tour guide Jorge, for our tour of Gaia. But that will be next time. Don’t go anywhere. I have so much more to share. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest. It’s not the destination that matters, but the journey. Enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.