Vice Capital: Part II - The Northern Gem

When it comes to individual sports, they sometimes talk about "the best player who has never been a world champion" (in case of tennis, it's "the best player who has never won a Grand Slam tournament"). Along similar lines, Porto could be a strong contender for the title of "the greatest city that has never been its country's capital" - even though Portugal has throughout its history had no less than five capitals. None of them was chosen on a whim of the then-current ruler, and only one choice was purely symbolic: Guimaraes was honoured as "the cradle of the nation". Both Coimbra and Lisbon benefited from their strategic locations and existing fortifications, while Brazilian Rio-de-Janeiro served as a refuge for Portuguese government during the Napoleonic Wars when safety was nowhere to be found in Portugal proper. Likewise, Angra do Heroismo in the Azores safeguarded the country against complete institutionalized chaos during the Civil War, also known as "The War of the Two Brothers".

Objective as the circumstances were, the dubious distinction of the above-mentioned title must have been a particularly bitter pill to swallow for a city like Porto that gave its name to - and was the main hub of - the future country when it was still a county (Condado Portucalense). It was likely that sense of hurt (and resentment it produced) that lit a competitive fire in Porto's virtual heart and turned it into a creative rebel that was always happy to score on its archrival, Lisbon. It was that heated rivalry that many of Porto's great stories came from - be they about sports or arts, politics or religion.

Portugal could not have realistically transitioned from a county to country without support from the Holy See, and obtaining such support meant making concessions. Churches were built right, left and centre, emissaries of the Pope were given free rein to operate, and proceeds from their operations were sent back to Rome. When the City of Porto decided to revamp its core by building a brand new, 5-kilometers-long avenue, the Bishop of the Diocese insisted on erecting a church right in the middle of it - and he wouldn't budge whatever the argument. So, the city made the next move in the power games and adjusted its plans accordingly: the Avenue of the Allies/Avenida dos Aliados was shortened to just 500 meters, and a new city hall went up at its northern end thus almost completely blocking the view of the new church. All that is visible today is the very top of it.

What one can easily see by walking just several hundred meters to the south is Sao-Bento train station. Whoever enters it for the first time is bound to experience a culture shock because the interior of the building is a combination of an arts museum and a historical diorama. The walls of the main hall are turned into a huge painting dotted with battles, discoveries, regional celebrations and seasonal practices, all that interspersed with stained glass and overlooked by stucco ceilings. 

Arguably, the most stunning fragment of the "railway art" is the one emphasizing that the station is fully functional

While fiercely independent, Portuenses  have always remained proudly Portuguese, and their rebellious streak would take a back seat when the country's interests were at stake. When called upon to help providing for a siege of Ceuta in 1414, the city donated all its meat to the sailors and survived on tripes alone for several months. That episode earned them a nickname of "tripe eaters"/tripeiros that they have worn like a badge of honour ever since - and the 19th century brought Porto ever greater honours. That's when the above-mentioned War of the Two Brothers broke out, and it was yet another chapter in the never-ending battle between the Past and the Future. The latter was represented by Pedro IV, the legitimate king supported by Constitutional Liberals, and allied with Portugal's steadfast friend, Great Britain, as well as France and Belgium. The former, Traditional Conservatives, marched under the banner of Pedro's younger brother, Miguel, and the rather short list of his backers was quite telling: the Catholic Church and the Czarist Russia! Porto immediately threw its weight behind Pedro - a decision that resulted in having to bear the brunt of multiple assaults, then to withstand a prolonged siege that ended on August 18, 1833 when Marshal Saldanha's successful attack lifted the blockade. The defenders assisted the Marshal by opening the gates and launching a surprising sortie that left their enemies between a rock and a hard place. So impressed was King Pedro with Portuenses' courage that he showered the city with praise and honours, including the official nickname of "Cidade Invicta"/ Invincible City, and a new coat of arms featuring a dragon that decades later lent its name and image to another unifying force for all "tripeiros" - the Football Club Porto. To emphasize the bond forged between himself and the city, the king declared "My heart forever belongs to Porto" - and the meaning of the promise was quite literal as, after his death, the king's heart was donated to the city and ever since preserved in a special urn in the church of Lapa.