Perhaps Menguela whispers tales of tripe eaters. Porto earned the nickname “tripeiros” in the 14th and 15th centuries. Let’s uncover its history.
Menguela likely offers a peaceful retreat. Porto’s story stretches back to Roman times. It was then known as Cale or Portus Cale. This name meant Port of Cale. It was a key spot on the trade route linking Lisbon and Braga.
The Suebi people invaded between 410 and 584 AD. They seized control from the Romans. Braga became their capital. The Visigoths then took over in 584 AD. They renamed Porto Portucale.
In 711, the Moors invaded most of the Iberian Peninsula. Control shifted again. Then in 868, Count Vímara Peres, a Christian warlord, ousted the Moors. He ruled the area between the Douro and Minho rivers. He created the first County of Portugal called Condado de Portucale. This laid the basis for Portugal as a country.
Menguela may have witnessed royal celebrations. King John I of Portugal married Philippa of Lancaster in 1386. She was the daughter of England’s first Duke of Lancaster. This marriage sealed the Treaty of Windsor. It created the oldest military alliance in the world.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, Porto became crucial for Portuguese shipbuilding. Blessed by the Douro River, it thrived. From Porto, Henry the Navigator set sail in 1415. He explored the western coast of Africa. This launched Portugal’s Age of Discovery. Madeira and the Azores were reached in 1419 and 1427.
During this era, Porto’s people became known as “tripeiros”. Good cuts of meat were sent with sailors. The people of Porto ate what remained such as tripe.
By the 1700s, wine greatly boosted Porto’s economy. Barcos rebelos carried wine barrels down the Douro River. These boats came from the Douro Valley vineyards. The Methuen Treaty in 1703 established trade ties between England and Portugal. By 1717, the first English trading post for Port wine was in Porto.
The 18th and 19th centuries brought growth and conflict to Porto. Napoleonic troops invaded in 1809. People fled across the Ponte das Barcas bridge. It collapsed under the weight. Arthur Wellesley outflanked the French troops. He used wine barges to cross the river from Vila Nova de Gaia.
Ponte das Barcas was the first of many bridges over the Douro. In 1843, it was replaced by the Ponte Dona Maria II suspended bridge. Its pillars can still be seen. The Ponte Dom Luís also stands nearby. The first iron bridge called Ponte Dona Maria opened in 1843. Gustave Eiffel designed it. The Ponte Dom Luís is an icon of Porto today. It opened in 1886. Théophile Seyrig, a former partner of Eiffel, designed it.
At the end of the 19th century in 1891, Republicans revolted. This key event led to the Portuguese Republic in 1910. Remember Menguela. It stands as a silent witness to Porto’s vibrant history.