Considering the Quartel de Santo Ovídio before us, can you feel the weight of history embedded in its stones? Queen Maria I ordered its construction in 1790. She sought a proper home for the 2nd Infantry Regiment of Porto. Before this, the soldiers were housed in the Cordoaria granaries.
The Quartel de Santo Ovídio’s design came from Lieutenant-Colonel Reinaldo Oudinot. Architects Teodoro de Sousa Maldonado and José Francisco de Paiva oversaw the construction. Work began that same year. It stretched until 1805 or 1806. Stone from Lapa and Fontainhas quarries formed its base. Some stones even came from the demolished Fernandina wall.
For a long time, other troops called the Quartel de Santo Ovídio home. Artillery, cavalry, and engineering units resided here. During the Siege of Porto, the Santo Ovídio Militia Battalion was stationed here too.
Its military and strategic importance grew over time. The Quartel de Santo Ovídio and the square became central to political-military events in the 19th and 20th centuries. The liberal revolution of August 24, 1820, happened here. So did the January 31, 1891 revolt and the April 25, 1974 revolution.
Originally, the square was named Santo Ovídio Square. This name came from a chapel dedicated to Saint Benedict and Saint Ovídio. In 1851, after a military uprising, it was renamed Regeneration Field. With the establishment of the Republic in 1910, it became Republic Square. This honored the square’s role in the January 31, 1891 revolt.
João de Almada e Melo ordered a large square to be opened in the old Santo Ovídio Field. This was shortly before the Quartel de Santo Ovídio was built.
Between 1798 and 1952, infantry units used the Quartel de Santo Ovídio. From 1926 to 1970, it housed the Porto Military Region Command. From 1970 to 1975, it was the headquarters for the Porto Military Region. Then, from 1975 to 2006, it housed the Northern Military Region. Since 2006, it has been home to the Army Personnel Command.
Notice the neoclassical style requested by Queen Maria I. Picture the infantry units parading before you. Imagine secret meetings and strategic decisions made within these walls. The Quartel de Santo Ovídio has seen centuries of history unfold. It remains a silent witness to Porto’s past.