THE PEOPLE
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Reviewed by:
Editorial Staff
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Porto is proud to be known as the city of work. Actually, its inhabitants have always been in the front line to defend national causes and greatly contributed to the Discoveries as well as to the regions's economic development as one of the most dynamic areas in the country's entrepreneurial tissue. The roughness of hard work, however, is counter-balanced by the honest and hospitable spirit of its people. The dynamism of the Porto population reveals their passion for simple things, which gives them an authentic and respectable image.
The origins of Porto are linked to the Morro da Sé (Cathedral Hill),
overlooking the river Douro, where traces of an ancient settlement have been
identified. The Romans brought a great boom to a city, which was elevated to
diocese status during the Visigothic period. The city suffered great setbacks
after the Moorish invasions, with its territory being re-conquered by Vímara
Peres at the end of the 9th century.D. Teresa, mother of the first King of Portugal,
donated the land of Porto to Bishop D. Hugo, who bestowed its first charter
in 1123.
The development of the commercial activity led to the progressive urbanisation
of the riverbank area and in the late 14th century the borough was encircled
by a second city wall. Commerce with the exterior grew, not only towards the
northern ports but also towards the Mediterranean.The control of the city's
resources, specifically the profits from the port, led to a conflict between
the Bishop and the Crown.
The construction of the Customhouse in 1324 represented
a severe blow to the interests of the Bishop. In 1405 D. João transferred
the jurisdiction of the borough to the Crown. In this period local power was
consolidated with the support of the bourgeois merchants. The opening of Rua
Nova marked a new phase in the urbanisation of the city and its localisation
reflected the importance given to the downtown area, which was the main commercial
area of the city until this century.Medieval Porto was home to Afonso Martins
Alho (negotiator of the Treaty with England), Henry the Navigator and Pêro
Vaz de Caminha (author of the "Chart of the Discovery of Brazil").
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