Rua de São Bento da Vitória

Miragaia


With its cobblestones polished smooth by centuries of shoe leather, and pretty tiled houses with little wrought-iron balconies and window boxes brimming with pot plants, this narrow, gently curving street was the beating heart of Jewish Porto in late medieval times. Keep your eyes peeled for telltale sights of Jewish heritage, such as bronze Hamsa (protective hand) door knockers.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Miragaia attractions

1. Centro Português de Fotografia

0.03 MILES

This stately yet muscular building (1767) once served as a prison and now houses a photography museum. You actually walk through the thick iron gates and…

2. Mosteiro de São Bento da Vitória

0.06 MILES

Note the sign in front of this former monastery apologising for the expulsion of the Jews in 1496 under the Portuguese Inquisition and the iron fist of…

3. Torre dos Clérigos

0.08 MILES

Sticking out on Porto's skyline like a sore thumb – albeit a beautiful baroque one – this 76m-high tower was designed by Italian-born baroque master…

4. Jardim da Cordoaria

0.08 MILES

This pleasantly leafy park is known simply as ‘Cordoaria’. Check out the four haunting sculptures by Spain's Juan Muñoz. The romantic, narrow lanes that…

5. Igreja Nossa Senhora da Vitória

0.1 MILES

In Porto's medieval Vitória quarter, this church stands on land that once belonged to the Jewish community. Completed in 1539, it was given a baroque…

6. Igreja dos Clérigos

0.1 MILES

Nicolau Nasoni designed the Igreja dos Clérigos, with its theatrical facade and un­usual, oval-shaped nave, resembling a Fabergé egg due to its dusky pink…

7. Casa da Rua São Miguel

0.1 MILES

As you amble down the hill, keep a look out on the right-hand side for the Rua São Miguel. On the corner, at No 4, you'll see a panel of 19th-century blue…

8. Museu da Misericórdia do Porto

0.11 MILES

The Museu da Misericórdia do Porto harmoniously unites cutting-edge architecture, a prized collection of 15th- to 17th-century sacred art and portraiture,…