Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Vitória

The Church of Nossa Senhora da Vitória was built by Bishop Frei Antonio de Sousa between 1755 and 1769, to replace an older church. The church, which is located in the heart of the historic center of Porto, was badly damaged during the Siege of Porto. In 1874, a fire destroyed its altar. Despite these set backs, the church endured until today with stories to tell.

Inside, it’s worth seeing the wood carvings of the altar, the pulpit and the valance of the crossing arch designed and executed by the most noted artists of the Rococo in Porto- Francisco Pereira Campanhã and José Teixeira Guimarães. Notice also the sculpture of the Virgin in the main altar. The sculpture is by the Portuguese sculptor Soares dos Reis, but the face was commissioned from a local sculptor of saints.

Next to this church, is the square known as “Bataria da Vitória” where you can still enjoy unique views reaching from the Cathedral and the Paço Episcopal, to the Douro River, the D. Luís I Bridge, and to the Gaia coast road. Access to this viewpoint ceased to be open to the public in 2012 when the adjoining property was sold.