Live in Porto

Porto is located in the North of Portugal, on the north bank of the river Douro. It's the second largest city in the country, in an urban area with more than 237 thousand inhabitants. Four main bridges and two railway bridges make it possible to cross the river to the other bank (Vila Nova de Gaia).

Porto is settled since pre-historical times. It has since been inhabited by Romans, Iberians, Celts, Swabians, Visigoths and Moors (although the influence of the Moors is greater in the South).

In the national history, liberalism, liberty and patriotism are some of the values that have always been expensive to the inhabitants of Porto. The name "tripeiros", for which the inhabitants of Porto are known, arises from one of those proves of patriotism: in the 15^th Century, the inhabitants of Porto gave away all their meet to supply the fleet that set sail from Porto, keeping only the tripes for themselves . This is the origin of one of the most traditional dishes of the local cuisine, "tripas à moda do Porto".

With a strong and dynamic bourgeoisie to which the city owes the epitaph of "City of Work", Porto has always been the city of trade. Its main export product is the Port wine, which enabled the renovation of the city: new roads and buildings were built, which accounts for the richness of the bourgeoisie of the time.

The historical richness of the city is accounted for in the labyrinth of narrow and rough streets of the medieval times and in its monuments (the Cathedral, the "Palácio da Bolsa", as well as several churches, museums and private houses). In 1996 UNESCO considered Porto "World Heritage". This demonstrates the cultural and social vitality of the city, which is also proven by its several Universities, art academies, conservatories, museums and art galleries. This enabled Porto to be considered in 2001 the European Capital of Culture, together with Rotterdam.

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