Palace of San Bento. São Bento train station in the heart of Porto How to get to São Bento Palace

01. The first train arrived at Sao Bento Station on November 7, 1896. At that time, the station consisted of three wooden hangars, serving both passengers and owners of numerous cargoes, as a storage facility. I must say that it was certainly far from Lisbon, who by this time had not one, but two whole stations, one of which Santa Apolonia had been serving passengers for more than 30 years. And as it happens between two large cities of the country, be it Moscow and St. Petersburg, or Lisbon and Porto, competition drove progress. Four years later, the first stone was laid in the foundation of a new stone palace building, Sao Bento Station. Sixteen years later, the magnificent building appeared in all its beauty.

02. There is something to see! 551 square meters of the famous Portuguese tiles (azulejos) not only decorate the building, but also tell about significant events in the country's history.

04. If you look closely, you can see scenes from the everyday life of the Portuguese peasants,

06. not devoid of drama...

07. Majestic scenes of loyalty to one's word, the famous fighter for the independence of Portugal, the knight Egas Moniz.

08. All this beauty belongs to the famous Portuguese artist Jorge Kulas.

11. And here is Henry the Navigator himself, who led the battle of Ceuta (August 14, 1415) in Morocco. This event is associated with the beginning of the era of European expansion on the world stage.

12. Viewing, photographing and reading a brief history of the paintings depicted on the phone. Comfortable.

13. However, back to the present.

14. São Bento Station serves mainly local, suburban destinations: Braga, Aveiro, Douro and other cities located mainly around Porto at a distance not exceeding 60 km. Trains run to Lisbon from another Porto station, Campanhã. But that's a completely different story.

15. The destinations are served by modern electric trains of the UME-3400 series, built at the enterprises of the Siemens TS / Bombardier alliance, especially for the state-owned railway company Comboios de Portugal (CP).

16. It was not an easy decision to build a railway station in the very center of the city, which is under 1000 years old.

17. In 1968, the station with adjacent buildings and tracks was seriously reconstructed. There were new premises for passengers, a restaurant, all the tracks were electrified.

22. When you are in Porto, take a look, an interesting place.

23. However, time is running out, how much more interesting and informative this amazing city of Porto is fraught with!

Aren't you tired of Porto yet?) I would like to tell you more about the most beautiful area of ​​the city - the Dora river embankment, and about the most comfortable metro on the planet.
Two weeks ago I was in Rome, yesterday I returned from Budapest. Ahead of a lot of interesting things!

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Sao Bento Railway Station, located in the center, is not only an important transport hub of the city, but also a memorable historical and architectural object. It was officially opened to passengers in 1916, on the site of an abandoned monastery, becoming one of the most beautiful stations in Europe, retaining this unofficial status to this day. Interestingly, the first train stopped at its platform in November 1896, when the station consisted of only 3 wooden hangars used as storage facilities. However, after 20 years, instead of them, a new three-story building appeared in Porto, capable of competing with a similar building in the capital Lisbon.

The main advantage of the Sao Bento railway station is its hall, the walls are lined with the famous Portuguese azulejos tiles, which depict fragments from the history of Portugal, including magnificent paintings telling about the legendary battle of Valdevez, about the arrival of King João I with his wife Philippa of Lancaster in Porto in 1387, about the accomplishments of Henry the Navigator and the exploits of the national hero - the knight Egas Moniz. The author of these magnificent works of art was the Portuguese artist Jorge Kulas. Looking at the paintings of the master, it is hard to believe that they are not in the halls of the National Museum of Portugal, but at the central city station. The building has long enjoyed great attention among foreign tourists, who invariably arrange a colorful photo shoot when they come here.

Sao Bento Station mainly serves local and suburban destinations, and trains leave for settlements, the road to which does not exceed 60 km. They go to Lisbon from another station. All routes are served by modern electric trains of the UME-3400 series, distinguished by a decent level of comfort and high functionality. For the convenience of passengers, almost every section of the station is equipped with clocks and electronic displays, displaying the current schedule. Also, on the station territory there are cafes, restaurants and toilets. In order for the platforms to be sufficiently light and at the same time cozy even on rainy days, glass roofs were built over them.

Sao Bento Railway Station is deservedly one of the most striking sights, representing a real work of art. In a certain sense, it is a free museum in which you can appreciate the richest cultural heritage. Rising in the central part of the city, the station harmoniously fits into the historical image of Porto and is able to decorate the home photo gallery of any traveler.

The Palace of the National Assembly, also called the Palace of the Cortes, is located in the center and is the seat of Parliament. Despite the current political status, the palace is open to tourist groups accompanied by guides. To visit it, you must pre-register on the official website.

The palace was built in the 17th century. for the wealthy Benedictine order. The architect Afonso Alvaris chose the Mannerist style characteristic of that time: he replaced the Renaissance and was popular in Europe until the appearance in the 18th century. baroque and rococo.

A strong earthquake, from which Portugal suffered in 1755, destroyed the building completely; during the reconstruction, classical details were added to it in the exterior decoration and in the interiors. The famous portico with columns and a wide staircase leading to the entrance to the palace appeared. In 1834, the possessions of the Benedictine monks, as a result of secularization, were transferred to the state, since then Sao Bento has been a government institution.

Halls of Sao Bento Palace

During the time, tourists can see the most popular rooms of the palace:

Surroundings of Sao Bento Palace

There are also quite interesting places around the building that are worth a look:

• the inner garden, which has been preserved since the time of the monks - they grew medicinal herbs there, with which they treated the sick;
• a classic mansion located in a Benedictine garden: the first head of government moved here in 1877, since then the building has been the permanent residence of all prime ministers of Portugal.
• the square in front of the São Bento Palace, where the demonstrations that preceded the Carnation Revolution of 1974 took place. Since then, it has been considered a traditional venue for any political action.

How to get to Sao Bento Palace?

The Palace of the Cortes is located in the center, next to it there is a stop, which is considered the main city. The best route to the palace is to take the famous tram to the Rua de Sao Bento stop, and walk 1 minute from there. on foot. In addition to tram 28, buses No. 706,727, 773 stop near the palace, the stop is called Palácio de São Bento.

Campanhã is a Portuguese parish, located in the city of Porto. The population in 2011 was 32,659, in an area of ​​8.04 km². Located there is the Campanhã station, the most important in Porto.- Wikipedia

Things to do in Campanha

• Livraria Lello

  The Lello Bookstore (Portuguese: Livraria Lello), also known as Livraria Lello & Irmão and Livraria Chardron, is a bookstore located in civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, in the northern Portuguese municipality of Porto .

• Estádio do Dragao

  The Estádio do Dragão is an all-seater football stadium located in Porto, Portugal, and the current home ground of Futebol Clube do Porto. It has a capacity of 50,033, making it the largest football ground in Portugal.

• Serralves

  Serralves is a cultural institution located in Porto, Portugal, and one of the most important of all the country. It includes a Contemporary Art Museum, a Park and a Villa, each one an example of contemporary architecture, Modernism, and Art Deco architecture. The Museum, designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, is now the most visited museum in Portugal (more than 300,000 visitors per year) and one of the most relevant in the contemporary art circuit in Europe.