Porto, Portugal - Week Three

When we went to the Casa da Música for our tour, they offered a combo ticket with a nice discount to tour and taste at the Graham's Port Caves. How could we say no? I guess we aren't tired of tasting port just yet.

When I described the aging processes for making tawny versus ruby port in my other post, I neglected to mention a third style of port -- vintage. This ruby port wine only ages in the huge oak barrel for a short time, maybe two years or so. Then it is bottled and stored away for many more years before it can be sold. Because the wine continues to age without any exposure to oak or oxidation, it tends to retain its red color and will continue to age and hold its flavor characteristics for many decades. This is the kind of wine that you "cellar", and in fact, Graham's has an extensive cellar full of bottles from various vintages. The oldest bottles of Graham's there were from the 1860's.

Of course, we are no good at "cellaring". Bottles of wine rarely stick around that long in our house. So we opted to just buy a reasonably priced bottle of port. That way we don't have to feel bad about it when it disappears in a week or so.

Later in the week, we went for a guided tour of the Palácio da Bolsa, which translates to "Stock Exchange Palace". At first I thought maybe it was a mis-translation, because why would they put the Stock Exchange in a "palace"? Shouldn't it just be called the "Stock Exchange Building"? No, the Palácio is just that -- a palace. Our tour took us through some of the most magnificently decorated and spacious rooms. This is the "Hall of Nations", seen from above. My photo doesn't really do it justice because the entire room has a domed glass ceiling flanked by paintings of the coats of arms of the twenty nations Portugal did the most business with back in the 1850's. The guide informed us that Portugal used to have two stock exchanges, and trading for the one in Porto was done in this room until it was decided to just have one stock exchange in Lisbon.

This is the Commercial Court Room, where the association used to hear legal cases related to business. Nowadays, this room is used for fancy wine tastings of course. Because...Porto.

The fanciest room is the Arabian Room. It was inspired by the grandeur of the Alhambra palace in southern Spain. 

Arabian motifs decorate the walls. Not because the room has anything to do with business in Arabia, but because it was the height of fashion in the 1870's and 1880's when this room was constructed.

One street over from our apartment, on the Rua das Flores, is a beautiful baroque church that we walk past nearly every day. But the gates at the entrance have always been locked shut. It took us a long time to realize that the church was part of a museum a few doors down -- the MMIPO Museu da Misericórdia do Porto. To see the inside, we would have to visit the museum. The church facade was designed by one of Porto's most famous architects, Nicolas Nasoni.

The church interior is also very baroque in style. Lots of gold leaf and flourishes everywhere. Decorative blue and white ceramic tiles (known as azulejos) line the walls.

The museum celebrates the long history of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Porto. This association was created by order of the king and queen in 1498 and has been dedicated to serving charitable and philanthropic works ever since. The society is commited to 14 works of mercy (the English translation of "misericórdia") and there was a helpful explanation of these works as you entered the museum, as well as a beautiful woodcarving of the society's patron saint -- Our Lady of Mercy. The seven spiritual works are to: teach the humble, give good advice, charitably correct the wrongs of others, console the suffering, pardon those who have wronged us, suffer patiently, and pray for the living and the dead. The seven material works are to: free the enslaved and visit prisoners, heal and help the sick, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter travelers and pilgrims, and bury the dead. Many prominent Portuguese families have dedicated their lives and their fortunes so that the society could continue to fulfill its mission even to the present day. The Misericórdia association provides a wide range of social services to communities in need.

The Misericórdia museum has a good collection of religious artworks. The vibrant colors of this oil on copper painting by Josefa de Óbidos were very eye-catching. It was painted in 1678 and it was unusual at that time for a woman to make a living as an artist. She was one of the most prolific painters in Portugal in the 1600's and has over 150 works attributed to her.

After the museum, we had a Thanksgiving late lunch/early dinner. Turkey wasn't on the menu, but it was a very delicious and traditionally Portuguese meal. Followed by a cotton candy sunset. Lots to be thankful for!