| MATOSINHOS |
Situated on the north bank of the River Leça, in the
northern suburbs of Oporto, Matosinhos is famous for its large
port and high-quality fish and seafood restaurants. The port
of Leixões was constructed in 1884 to the plans of Nogueira
Soares and greatly enlarged in 1932.
What to see. Past the port, situated on a hill close
to the motorway, the 18th-century church of Bom Jesus (also
known as the Igreja do Senhor de Matosinhos) contains a wooden
statue of Christ on the cross, washed up on the beach in the
tenth century and minus an arm. Legend has it that 50 years
after its discovery, an old woman looking for firewood found
the wooden arm and took it to the shrine, where it miraculously
attached to the statue. The church itself features a Baroque
façade and a paneled ceing depicting scenes from the
Passion.
Nearby. A short way along the coast road towards Oporto
stands the Castelo do Queijo (Cheese Castle), a 17th-century
garrison erected to commemorate Gonçalves Zarco, discoverer
of Madeira, who reputedly came from Matosinhos. It contains
an ancient sacrificial boulder used by Celtic druids in the
6th century. At Foz, Oporto's beach resort area, visitors can
see the 16th-century Castle of São João, built
on the site of 13th-century Benedictine monastery |
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| © 2007 Maisturismo |
