Praça da Liberdade

Porto – Praça da Liberdade in 1933.

Praça da Liberdade, until 1910 Praça Dom Pedro IV, is the heart of the city of Porto. When the first mule trams arrived here in 1875, the Northern side was still occupied by the old city-hall. Most mule trams did not have their terminus on Praça, but continued to another destination. There were only single tracks on the South and East side of the square with a passing loop in front of the Palácio das Cardosas and a short stub track in front of the Igreja dos Congregados de Sto.António. With the electrification also double track was installed, but still only at the South and East side.

Track layout of the mule trams short after opening of the first lines of the CCFP. Later also a line in the direction of Infante was added.

First track layout of the electric trams. It was complete changed in 1911 to make it possible to use Praça as the tram hub of the whole system with introducing a new setup of the tramlines on 1 January 1912.

Praça de Dom Pedro about 1904. The statue depicts Dom Pedro IV on his horse and was inaugurated in 1866. Behind it is the old city-hall. At the right above the houses is the roof visible of the Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados. Also at the right is an electric tram transformed from a mule tram. The photo was taken from a window of the Palácio das Cardosas.

Praça de Dom Pedro about 1904. The photo is taken from the Passeio das Cardosas as the part of Praça is called that’s at the south side in front of the Palácio das Cardosas. The church is the Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados. The tram with the number 26 is an unique one: it was delivered by Siemens & Halske in 1898 and first had the number 14. Soon it was renumbered 26 and in 1907 to 126. It had disappeared from the fleet by 1919. The tram in the centre of the photo must be one of the six tramcars built by the local firm A Constructora during the years 1901-1903.

Praça de Dom Pedro about 1904. At the left is the Palácio das Cardosas, in the background the Torre and Igreja dos Clerigos.

In October 1910 a revolution made and end to the monarchy and the name Praça de Dom Pedro was changed to Praça da Liberdade, although the statue of Dom Pedro IV and his horse were retained in its centre.

For the network change of 1 January 1912 a complex double track circular layout was made and most tramlines now got their terminus on Praça. In 1916 the demolition started of the old city-hall and around Rua do Laranjal and Rua Elias Garcia to open up the area for the construction of the Avenida dos Aliados. This caused the closure of the outbound tramline through Rua Elias Garcia (before D.Pedro IV) and Cancela Velha. Trams went now in both directions through Rua Sá da Bandeira, included the part which at the time was part of Sá da Bandeira but is now Rua Sampaio Bruno.

The new layout to make Praça da Liberdade into the tram hub of the network on 1 January 1912. This layout was retained until 1930, although some minor changes were done, e.g. changing cross-overs.

Praça da Liberdade about 1913. At the left is the old city-hall. The tram on the left carries the line number 18 and the destination Matozinhos. In fact the tram will run only until Boavista and give there connection to a steam tram to Matosinhos that carried the line number 18 too. Line numbers were introduced on 1 January 1912. The steam tram, and with that the whole line 18 disappeared in November 1914. Tram no 277 is one of a batch of 25 (271-295) ordered in 1910 from Brill. Tram no.169 was built in 1906 by the local firm A Constructora. It has two trolley poles for service on the Ponte Luís I.

Praça da Liberdade about 1913. At the right in the background is the old city-hall. The houses visible at the left of the statue of Dom Pedro IV will within a few years be demolished to give space for a new building of the Banco de Portugal. Tram no.205 is one of a series of five ordered in 1909 from UEC. Originally the had the fleet numbers 202-206 but were already in 1913 renumbered to 296-300. It carries the line number 1 and has the destination Leça.

Praça da Liberdade about 1920. At the right is the Palácio das Cardosas, at the left the Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados.. The tram is one of a batch of 20 (numbers 251-270) ordered in 1909 from Brill.

Praça da Liberdade about 1920. The photo is taken from a window in the Palácio das Cardosas. The old city hall has disappeared, the Avenida dos Aliados is under construction. The new building of the “A Nacional” insurance company is almost finished, at the left the construction has started of the new building of the Banco de Portugal. Tram no.288 at the right is one of the batch of 25 (271-295) ordered in 1910 from Brill. The other tram also comes from Brill, but it’s impossible to see if it’s of the 1910 ordered batch (nos.271-295) or the 1912 ordered batch (nos.171-190)

Praça da Liberdade about 1920. At the right is the Palácio das Cardosas, at the left is the roof visible of the Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados. The tram at the right is likely no.274 of the in 1910 from ordered batch 271-295. More to the left is an unidentified tram of the Brill series 251-270 ordered in 1909. At the far left is a part visible of one of the 24 trams built by the local firm A Constructora during the years 1904-1906.

Praça da Liberdade about 1929. The photo was taken from a window (or the roof) of the Palácio das Cardosas. The lower part of the Avenida dos Aliados is ready. In the background the new city-hall is under construction, above it is the tower visible of the Igreja de Trindade. At the far left is the new building of the Banco de Portugal still under construction. The three trams are from left to right one built by Brill, one built by A Constructora and a former mule tram transferred into an electric tram. The photo was taken between the rule of the road changed from left to right (1 June 1928) and the layout change of 1930.

In March 1912 during daytime every hour 82 departures from Praça were scheduled.

Time	Line	Direction	Destination
-:00	1	Infante	Leça da Palmeira
-:00	6	Carmo	Monte dos Burgos
-:00	8	Carmo	Paranhos
-:00	10	Bolhão	São Roque
-:00	16	Carmo	Torrinha
-:00	19	Batalha	Trindade
-:00	19	Carmo	Trindade
-:00	A	Bolhão	Areosa
-:00	A	Infante	Infante
-:05	7	Carmo	Ponte da Pedra
-:05	9	Bolhão	Águas Santas
-:05	11	Bolhão	Campanhã
-:05	14	Batalha	Devesas
-:05	20	Batalha	Constituição
-:05	B	Batalha	Campanhã
-:05	B	Carmo	Bessa
-:08	2	Carmo	Carreiros
-:10	3	Carmo	Palácio
-:10	8	Carmo	Paranhos
-:10	10	Bolhão	Circunvalação
-:10	A	Bolhão	Areosa
-:10	A	Infante	Infante
-:15	1	Infante	Leça da Palmeira
-:15	9	Bolhão	Costa Cabral
-:15	12	Batalha	Campanhã
-:15	13	Batalha	Santo Ovídio
-:15	16	Carmo	Torrinha
-:15	18	Carmo	Boavista – connection to steam tram to Matosinhos
-:20	6	Carmo	Monte dos Burgos
-:20	8	Carmo	Paranhos
-:20	10	Bolhão	São Roque
-:20	11	Bolhão	Campanhã
-:20	19	Batalha	Trindade
-:20	19	Carmo	Trindade
-:20	A	Bolhão	Areosa
-:20	A	Infante	Infante
-:23	2	Carmo	Carreiros
-:25	7	Carmo	Ponte da Pedra
-:25	9	Bolhão	Águas Santas
-:25	14	Batalha	Devesas
-:25	20	Batalha	Constituição
-:25	B	Batalha	Campanhã
-:25	B	Carmo	Bessa
-:30	1	Infante	Leça da Palmeira
-:30	3	Carmo	Palácio
-:30	8	Carmo	Paranhos
-:30	10	Bolhão	Circunvalação
-:30	16	Carmo	Torrinha
-:30	A	Bolhão	Areosa
-:30	A	Infante	Infante
-:35	9	Bolhão	Costa Cabral
-:35	11	Bolhão	Campanhã
-:35	12	Batalha	Campanhã
-:35	13	Batalha	Santo Ovídio
-:35	18	Carmo	Boavista – connection to steam tram to Matosinhos
-:38	2	Carmo	Carreiros
-:40	6	Carmo	Monte dos Burgos
-:40	8	Carmo	Paranhos
-:40	10	Bolhão	São Roque
-:40	19	Batalha	Trindade
-:40	19	Carmo	Trindade
-:40	A	Bolhão	Areosa
-:40	A	Infante	Infante
-:45	1	Infante	Leça da Palmeira
-:45	7	Carmo	Ponte da Pedra
-:45	9	Bolhão	Águas Santas
-:45	14	Batalha	Devesas
-:45	16	Carmo	Torrinha
-:45	20	Batalha	Constituição
-:45	B	Batalha	Campanhã
-:45	B	Carmo	Bessa
-:50	3	Carmo	Palácio
-:50	8	Carmo	Paranhos
-:50	10	Bolhão	Circunvalação
-:50	11	Bolhão	Campanhã
-:50	A	Bolhão	Areosa
-:50	A	Infante	Infante
-:53	2	Carmo	Carreiros
-:55	9	Bolhão	Costa Cabral
-:55	13	Batalha	Santo Ovídio
-:55	12	Batalha	Campanhã
-:55	18	Carmo	Boavista – connection to steam tram to Matosinhos

In 1930 a new, now single track circular layout was made on Praça da Liberdade with at both the East and West sides two tracks for the stops. This layout was retained until the last tram had left Praça in 1980, but in the fight against traffic congestion Rua 31 de Janeiro was changed to one-way, the involved tramlines using Rua Sampaio Bruno instead, and tracks were made in 1960 to accommodate trough running from one line to another without using the large loop. Since 1968 the connecting tracks in most directions had already disappeared after closure of the tramlines using them.

The new layout of 1930. During the years 1967-1968 all tramlines except those using Rua dos Clerigos were replaced by (trolley)buses. The last trams to Praça da Liberdade ran in February 1980.

Praça da Liberdade and Avenida dos Aliados in 1933. The new building of the Banco de Portugal at the left is almost ready, although the fences are still around it. At the right the new city-hall is still under construction, and would be for many more years. The tower of the Igreja de Trindade is still visible. The five trams (partly) visible are clockwise a “Fumista” built by the workshops of the tram company about 1929, one of six trams built by A Constructora in 1901-1903 with the original arrangement of five windows changed tos six, one of 24 trams built by A Constructora in 1904-1906, and two trams built by Brill in 1909-1912.

Praça da Liberdade and Avenida dos Aliados in the 1950’s. At the left the Banco de Portugal, in the background the new city-hall. The photo was taken from a window in the Palácio das Cardosas.

Praça da Liberdade and Avenida dos Aliados in the 1950’s. The number of (parked) cars is an increasing problem.

In 1936 during daytime every hour 122 or departures from Praça were scheduled. Line 10/ to São Pedro da Cova only ran at -:05 on the even hours.

Time	Line	Direction	Via	Destination
-:00	1	Infante	Foz	Leça da Palmeira
-:00	5	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Leça da Palmeira
-:00	6	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Monte dos Burgos
-:00	7	Carmo	Praça da República	Ponte da Pedra
-:00	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Ermesinde
-:00	10	Bolhão	Bonfim	Rio Tinto
-:00	12	Batalha	São Lazaro	Campanhã
-:00	20/	Carmo	Praça da República	Marques de Pombal
-:01	13	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Santo Ovídio
-:03	2/	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Castelo do Queijo – Foz
-:03	11	Bolhão	Bonfim	Campanhã
-:04	16	Carmo	Torrinha	Sá Pinto
-:04	16/	Batalha	–	Batalha
-:05	4	Infante	–	Alfândega
-:05	4	Carmo	Palácio	Fonte da Moura
-:05	8	Carmo	Praça da República	Paranhos
-:05	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Areosa
E:05	10/	Bolhão	Bonfim	São Pedro da Cova
-:06	14	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Arco do Prado
-:06	20	Batalha	São Lazaro	Marques de Pombal
-:08	9/	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Antas
-:08	10//	Bolhão	Bonfim	Gondomar Quintã
-:08	12	Batalha	São Lazaro	Campanhã
-:08	18	Carmo	Massarelos	Foz – Castelo do Queijo
-:10	19	Carmo	Palácio	Leça da Palmeira
-:10	7	Carmo	Praça da República	Ponte da Pedra
-:10	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Ermesinde
-:11	13	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Santo Ovídio
-:11	16/	Batalha	–	Batalha
-:12	6	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Monte dos Burgos
-:12	16	Carmo	Palácio	Sá Pinto
-:12	20/	Carmo	Praça da República	Marques de Pombal
-:13	18/	Carmo	Palácio	Castelo do Queijo – Foz
-:15	1	Infante	Foz	Leça da Palmeira
-:15	8	Carmo	Praça da República	Paranhos
-:15	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Areosa
-:15	10	Bolhão	Bonfim	Rio Tinto
-:15	12	Batalha	São Lazaro	Campanhã
-:16	14	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Arco do Prado
-:18	2	Carmo	Massarelos	Foz – Castelo do Queijo
-:18	11	Bolhão	Bonfim	Campanhã
-:18	20	Batalha	São Lazaro	Marques de Pombal
-:19	16/	Carmo	Torrinha	Sá Pinto
-:19	16	Batalha	–	Batalha
-:20	4	Infante	–	Alfândega
-:20	4	Carmo	Palácio	Fonte da Moura
-:20	5	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Leça da Palmeira
-:20	7	Carmo	Praça da República	Ponte da Pedra
-:20	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Ermesinde
-:21	13	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Santo Ovídio
-:23	2/	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Castelo do Queijo – Foz
-:23	10//	Bolhão	Bonfim	Gondomar Souto
-:23	12	Batalha	São Lazaro	Campanhã
-:24	6	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Monte dos Burgos
-:24	20/	Carmo	Praça da República	Marques de Pombal
-:25	8	Carmo	Praça da República	Paranhos
-:25	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Areosa
-:25	19	Carmo	Palácio	Leça da Palmeira
-:26	14	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Arco do Prado
-:26	16/	Batalha	–	Batalha
-:27	16	Carmo	Palácio	Sá Pinto
-:28	9/	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Antas
-:28	18	Carmo	Massarelos	Foz – Castelo do Queijo
-:30	1	Infante	Foz	Leça da Palmeira
-:30	5	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Leça da Palmeira
-:30	7	Carmo	Praça da República	Ponte da Pedra
-:30	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Ermesinde
-:30	10	Bolhão	Bonfim	Rio Tinto
-:30	12	Batalha	São Lazaro	Campanhã
-:30	20	Batalha	São Lazaro	Marques de Pombal
-:31	13	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Santo Ovídio
-:33	11	Bolhão	Bonfim	Campanhã
-:33	18/	Carmo	Palácio	Castelo do Queijo – Foz
-:34	16/	Carmo	Torrinha	Sá Pinto
-:34	16	Batalha	–	Batalha
-:35	4	Infante	–	Alfândega
-:35	4	Carmo	Palácio	Fonte da Moura
-:35	8	Carmo	Praça da República	Paranhos
-:35	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Areosa
-:36	6	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Monte dos Burgos
-:36	14	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Arco do Prado
-:36	20/	Carmo	Praça da República	Marques de Pombal
-:38	2	Carmo	Massarelos	Foz – Castelo do Queijo
-:38	10//	Bolhão	Bonfim	Gondomar Quintã
-:38	12	Batalha	São Lazaro	Campanhã
-:40	19	Carmo	Palácio	Leça da Palmeira
-:40	7	Carmo	Praça da República	Ponte da Pedra
-:40	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Ermesinde
-:41	13	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Santo Ovídio
-:41	16/	Batalha	–	Batalha
-:42	16	Carmo	Palácio	Sá Pinto
-:42	20	Batalha	São Lazaro	Marques de Pombal
-:43	2/	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Castelo do Queijo – Foz
-:45	1	Infante	Foz	Leça da Palmeira
-:45	8	Carmo	Praça da República	Paranhos
-:45	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Areosa
-:45	10	Bolhão	Bonfim	Rio Tinto
-:45	12	Batalha	São Lazaro	Campanhã
-:46	14	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Arco do Prado
-:48	6	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Monte dos Burgos
-:48	9/	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Antas
-:48	11	Bolhão	Bonfim	Campanhã
-:48	18	Carmo	Massarelos	Foz – Castelo do Queijo
-:48	20/	Carmo	Praça da República	Marques de Pombal
-:49	16/	Carmo	Torrinha	Sá Pinto
-:49	16	Batalha	–	Batalha
-:50	4	Infante	–	Alfândega
-:50	4	Carmo	Palácio	Fonte da Moura
-:50	5	Carmo	Carvalhosa	Leça da Palmeira
-:50	7	Carmo	Praça da República	Ponte da Pedra
-:50	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Ermesinde
-:51	13	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Santo Ovídio
-:53	10//	Bolhão	Bonfim	Gondomar Souto
-:53	12	Batalha	São Lazaro	Campanhã
-:53	18/	Carmo	Palácio	Castelo do Queijo – Foz
-:54	20	Batalha	São Lazaro	Marques de Pombal
-:55	8	Carmo	Praça da República	Paranhos
-:55	9	Bolhão	Marques de Pombal	Areosa
-:55	19	Carmo	Palácio	Leça da Palmeira
-:56	14	Batalha	Ponte Luís I	Arco do Prado
-:56	16/	Batalha	–	Batalha
-:57	16	Carmo	Palácio	Sá Pinto
-:58	2	Carmo	Massarelos	Foz – Castelo do Queijo

In 2007 trams returned to Praça da Liberdade, although only at the south side, as part of the route of the new opened heritage tramline no.22. In November 2021 this tramline was suspended again for a period of several (expected three) years due to the construction of the underground station São Bento / Praça da Liberdade of the new line G of the Metro do Porto.

On Tuesday 9 November 2021 tram no.220 leaves Praça da Liberdade. It was the last day the trams ran here before on this the location the construction of the new underground Metro do Porto station started. The buildings of this part of Praça da Liberdade are still the same as those of the first mule tram period. The south side of Praça is occupied by the Palácio das Cardosas, the building on the corner with Rua dos Clerigos is still standing too and also in the background are still the Torre and Igreja dos Clerigos.

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