Porto has a motto that pretty much tells a lot about its history: Antiga (Ancient), Mui Nobre (Very Noble), Sempre Leal (Always Loyal) e Invicta (and Undefeated) Cidade do Porto. Shortly, Porto can be known as the Invicta, meaning that the city was never defeated!
But let’s go back to the 19th century to understand the origins of this title…
After the death of King John VI, his son Miguel I reclaimed the throne for himself. He rejected the recently approved liberal constitution and reigned as an absolutist monarch! His older brother, Pedro IV, Emperor of Brazil, then returned to Portugal to fight Miguel, culminating in the Portuguese Civil War.
The war between monarchists and liberals lasted until 1934. For almost a year, between 1832 and 1833, the city of Porto was under siege: the supporters of D. Pedro were surrounded by the troops of D. Miguel I. After long battles, the city successfully resisted the Miguelist siege and the liberal constitution was re-established!
In his testament, D. Pedro IV literally left his heart to the city, as a way of thanking the loyalty of Portuenses, and ask his daughter, D. Maria II, to add title of “Invicta” to the city motto!
Don’t forget to chek more posts of The ABC’s of Porto! And if you want to learn all about Porto’s history and developments, book a tour with us! We will gladly share all of our knowledge with you :)
