Cultural places in Portugal

Church • Porto, Porto

The Torre e Igreja dos Clérigos rise in the heart of Porto, between Rua dos Clérigos, Rua de São Filipe de Nery and Rua da Assunção. The ensemble was designed by the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni for the Irmandade dos Clérigos, founded in 1707. The first stone of the church was laid in 1732, and construction of the tower began in 1754, being completed in 1763. Classified as a National Monument since 1910, the ensemble is one of Nasoni’s most prominent works in northern Portugal. The church reveals an elliptical plan and a Baroque façade with a strong scenic quality. The granite tower rises in six storeys to a height of 75 metres, with 225 steps to the top. Between the verticality of stone, Baroque decoration and the view over the Douro, the Clérigos condense Porto’s architecture, devotion and urban image.