PORTO - Portugal - page 335

The bottom of the avenue is known as Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square). A few
steps in front of you is an equestrian statue of King Pedro IV—a hero in the 1832 Civil
War who advocated for a limited constitutional monarchy in Portugal (while maintaining
his title as Emperor of Brazil). King Pedro prevailed...and he's holding the constitution to
prove it.
Orient yourself using an imaginary clock for a compass. Start by facing the horse. The
City Hall is at the top of the square. At about 2 o'clock (behind the trees) is the “Imper-
ial McDonald's,” perhaps the fanciest in Europe (formerly the Imperial Café). Check it
out, and ponder the battle of cultural elegance against global economic efficiency. At 3
o'clock is the way to the blue-tiled church of St. Ildefonso (up the hill, in the shopping
district). At 4 o'clock (50 yards away) is the corner of São Bento Station. And at 9 o'clock
is Clérigos Church, with its famous view tower.
▲ Clérigos Church and Tower (Igreja e Torre dos Clérigos) —This oval-shaped
church with a disproportionately tall tower is the masterwork of Nicolau Nasoni, a man
who chose to go for Baroque (see sidebar).
Cost and Hours: €2, daily 9:00-19:00, Rua São Filipe de Nery, tel. [phone].
VisitingtheChurchandTower: This church, which consumed three decades of Nic-
olau Nasoni's life (1731-1763), shows his flair for theatrics. He fit the structure into its
hilltop location, putting the tower at the back on the highest ground, dramatically reinfor-
cing its height. Nasoni worked in stages: first the church, then the Chapter House (resid-
ence for priests and monks). He topped it all off with the outsized tower.