Batalha Square
Batalha Square (Portuguese: Praça da Batalha) is a historical public square located in the city of Porto, in Portugal.
Origin of the name
According to tradition, the name batalha (battle) comes from a 10th-century battle fought between the Moorish forces of Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir and the inhabitants of Porto, which resulted in the defeat of the latter and the destruction of the city.[1][2][3]
Overview
An important monument of the square is the Batalha Palace, a good example of a late 18th-century urban palace of Porto. The main façade, in a style intermediate between baroque and neoclassical, carries the coat-of-arms of the former owners (Silvas, Guedes, Melos e Pereiras). During the Siege of Porto (1832) the owners left the building and it was used for several purposes, including blood hospital. The interior has been stripped of its decoration still in the 19th century. Nowadays it is used as post office.[citation needed]
The square was urbanised in 1861, when a statue of King Pedro V of Portugal, standing over a pedestal, was erected right in front of Batalha Palace. The statue is a work by sculptor Teixeira Lopes (father) which was inaugurated in 1866.[1][2][3]
The Batalha area has been an important cultural spot for centuries. In 1794, it was here that the Oporto's opera house, the Royal Theatre of São João, was built. The theatre still exists, although the original building had to be replaced in 1908 following a fire. Another important cultural venue of the square is the Cinema Batalha, a landmark of Portuguese Art Deco architecture dating from 1947.[3]
Batalha Square was an important traffic hub until recently, but since the 1980s it has been mostly pedestrianised. The square is also a touristic spot thanks to its monuments, cafés and hotels.[3]
See also
- Porto
- Liberdade Square
- Ribeira Square
- Rotunda da Boavista
References
- ^ a b Rotadigital. "Porto XXI - Cultura". www.portoxxi.com. Retrieved 2018-09-05.
- ^ a b "Praça da Batalha - Património - Câmara Municipal do Porto". www.cm-porto.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-09-05.
- ^ a b c d "Praça da Batalha - História da Praça da Batalha - Características". www.historiadeportugal.info (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-09-05.
41°08′43″N 8°36′26″W / 41.1453°N 8.6071°W / 41.1453; -8.6071
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and structures
- Arrábida Bridge
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- Campanhã railway station
- Carrancas Palace
- Casa da Câmara
- Casa dos Maias
- Casa Tait
- Casa Vicent
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- Clérigos Church
- College of the Marists
- Church of the Grilos
- Church of Saint Ildefonso
- Church of São Francisco
- Church of São Bento da Vitória
- Church of São Martinho de Cedofeita
- Church of Santa Clara
- Convent of Santo António da Cidade
- Devesas Factory Warehouse
- Dom Luís I Bridge
- Elevador da Ribeira
- English Club of Porto
- Episcopal Palace
- Factory House
- Fort of São Francisco Xavier
- Freixo Bridge
- Funicular dos Guindais
- Infante Dom Henrique Bridge
- Kadoorie Synagogue
- Lighthouse of São Miguel-o-Anjo
- Livraria Lello
- Maria Pia Bridge
- Monument to Pedro IV
- Palácio da Bolsa
- Palácio da Justiça
- Palácio do Freixo
- Palacete de Belomonte
- Palace of São João Novo
- Palacete of the Visconts of Balsemão
- Ponte de São João
- Porto Convention Centre
- São Bento railway station
- She Changes
- Tower of D. Pedro Pitões
- Tower of Pedro-Sem
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and museums
- Almeida Garrett Library
- Casa da Rua de D. Hugo
- Casa Museu Fernando de Castro
- Casa-Museu Marta Ortigão Sampaio
- Casa-oficina António Carneiro
- FC Porto Museum
- Casa-Museu Guerra Junqueiro
- Casa do Infante
- Municipal Library of Porto
- Museu Militar do Porto
- Museum of Transport and Communication
- Port Wine Museum
- Porto Tram Museum
- Portuguese Centre of Photography
- Serralves
- Soares dos Reis National Museum
- Casa da Música
- Cinema Batalha
- Coliseu do Porto
- Rivoli Theatre
- São João National Theatre
- Batalha Square
- Liberdade Square
- Ribeira Square
- Rotunda da Boavista