the local guide

Continuing the walk from Clerigos Tower: Google Maps

Walking around the Reitoria building you could see from the Clerigos Tower and leaving the “Garden of Cordoaria” towards North you’ll reach the “Gomes Teixeira Square” also known by “Leões” (Lions because of the fountain in the centre).

It is a Square deeply linked to the traditions of the students of Oporto University, it is here where the freshman of all the Houses of the Oporto Academy are to be Baptized – the ceremony after which they increase their rank from a mere uneducated “Beast” to a “Caloiro” – the lowest rank of the university student under the code of Praxe.

In the West part of this square there’s also a group of Cafes with a lot of tradition among students, especially the 100 year old “Piolho”. It is usually full of students having a meal, a drink, training academic music (see Tuna) and even studying; open day and night.

To the north you can see two different churches side by side: Carmelitas on the left and Carmo on the right. Carmelitas is part of a monastery built in the first half of the XVII century combining Classical and Baroco influences. Carmo was built in the second half of the XVIII in Rococo fashion; it has a huge panel of Azulejos on its outside wall painted by Silvestro Silvestri.

Click to see the Azulejos in google maps