AtWill’s favorite facts about Porto!
… that the beautiful Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa), located near Porto’s Riverside area, was built on the ruins of the former Saint Francis convent?
If you look to the left of the Palace you will see the back of Saint Francis Church – which, by the way, is the only Gothic church in town -, and attached to the church was the Saint Francis Convent. Its construction started in 1245 but it was only finished in 1410!
In 1833, during the city’s siege, a big fire took over the convent and it went into ruins. Right after that, the area was occupied by local tradesmen as the “commerce square”, and, a decade later, would originate the Stock Exchange Palace.
If you want to learn more curious facts about Porto, book a History Master Class tour with us! We will tell you all about the city’s development and transformation. :)
Photos: Monumentos desaparecidos|Wikipedia
Source: monumentos.pt
