Azulejo murals on the terrace
In the view shown in the image, the walls lined with azulejo murals of the cloister’s terrace meet at the southwest corner of the cloister. The door visible in this corner is the entrance to the Chapter Room, located on the upper level of Casa do Cabido, which is attached to the western facade of the cathedral. At the other end of this room is the staircase leading up to the bell towers.
The murals on the walls of the terrace, depicting scenes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, are an impressive work of art. The tilework is attributed by various sources to either Valentim de Almeida, who also created the lower cloister’s biblical tiles, or to a tile-maker named António Vidal, though the attribution to Vidal is not well-documented. Its beautiful figures, urns, cherubs, and countryside vignettes set within ornate scrollwork cartouches are pleasing to the eye.
In contrast, the azulejo tilework on the lower level (below the terrace) is enclosed within the arches of the arcade and depicts biblical themes, the Song of Songs and the life of the Virgin Mary.
Each bay of the arcade in the lower level has trefoil (three-lobed) pointed arches on slender paired colonnettes, with an oculus (round window) above. Between each group of arches, a solid buttress pier projects into the courtyard, rising from the ground to the roofline. Unlike a true flying buttress, which spans open space with an arch, this is a solid mass of masonry built directly against the wall, helping to counter the outward thrust of the vaulted ceiling above the arcade.
The square courtyard is surrounded by the arcaded galleries, with a crucifix atop a shaft. Attached to the shaft is a figure of the Virgin Mary that faces cathedral.
Explore More About Porto Cathedral and Cloister
– Porto Cathedral: A Unique Blend of Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque Styles
– Arcade and Courtyard View from the Terrace
– Northwest Corner – Gothic Arcade Meets the Bell Tower
– West Façade with Rose Window and Twin Bell Towers
– View of the Interior Showing Romanesque Nave and Rose Window
– Sanctuary with the Magnificent Baroque High Altar
– View of the Interior Showing Romanesque Nave and Rose Window
– Rose Window and Pipe Organ
– The Ribbed Vault Above the Crossing
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