Botanic Garden of Porto
Porto City Park
City of Oporto, Portugal
Porto by night
Porto is a city that locates in the northwest of Portugal, in the point of junction between the Douro River and the Atlantic Ocean. Its strategic geographical position, with the presence of water and the protection of the sloppy relief, were factors responsible for the creation of this city, in the 8th century BC. Its economic importance was patent from the beginning, when it constituted an important Phoenician port, until nowadays, being the center of the Metropolitan Area of Porto, which comprises 16 municipalities.
It possesses marks of its history in the buildings, streets, public spaces, but also in the culture of its population. Its historical center is, from 1996, listed as UNESCO Heritage. The city has heritage elements, such as churches, houses, bridges, forts, fountains, etc., since the older elements, such as the Archaeological site, until the most recent House of Music (by Siza Vieira).
It has green spaces with high quality, testimonies of the various periods of the development of the city. Examples are gardens that derived from recreational private “quintas” (such as Quinta de Serralves, by Jacques Gréber and Quinta do Freixo, by Nasoni, classified as Public Interest), the first public gardens of the 19th century (such as Crystal Palace, by Emilio David, Arca d’Água and Alameda of Virtudes) and the latest urban parks (such as the City Park, by Sidónio Pardal and Pasteleira Park, by Marisa Lavrador). The Botanical Garden, deriving from a 19th century private quinta, was the “home” for the first years of the Landscape Architecture Course.
This is a city with great landscaping tradition, which derives from “gardeners and landscape gardeners” of the 19th century, an era marked by the knowledge and love of the plants, the publication of scientific works and the flowers exhibitions and competitions, including the International Exhibition, in 1865. It is also worth of reference, in the surroundings of the city, the Quinta of Agrela (in Santo Tirso, by Caldeira Cabral), the Biological Park (in Gaia) and the Park of Avioso (in Maia).
Delimited by ocean, Porto has a large extension of beaches and a very attractive waterfront area, which together with the hilly streets, buildings with tiles facades and pastel colors present on the center, help trace the postal the city. The cultural value of Porto is not only present in its constructed elements, but in the culture of the inhabitants of this city. Its unique gastronomy (with the “tripas” and “francesinhas”), the famous Porto wine, its traditions and festivals (such as São João) help to create the culture and heritage of the city and its people, and construct a unique landscape.
REGISTRATION
The following Institutions have been registered for the EULP Project. If you also want to be part of it please contact the EULP Assistant Katharina Erne:
eulp@landscape.tuwien.ac.at
- Porto City Hall
- Porto Municipality [No URL available in database.]
- Porto Municipality [No URL available in database.]
No NGO found.