
'I like to dream about Portugal,
and it's less easy when you are there.'
(Maria de Medeiros)
For a long time, this commercial artery at the centre of Porto was know as Rua Nova de Santo António ('New Saint Anthony Street'), before being renamed '31st of January', to commemorate the first Republican Revolution in the history of Portugal. The street was witness of he most important battles of the revolt that started that day of 1891, one year after the British Ultimatum.
It was first conceived by João de Almada e Melo in 1784, as a mean to connect the quarters of San Ildefonso and Bonjardim. Architect Teodoro de Sousa Maldonado was in charge of the meticulous planning of the route between 1787 and 1793, that included the construction of stone arches in order to overcome the steep slope.
After its final opening in 1805, the street has historically hosted some of the finest shops of Porto, including glove makers, jewelers, hairdressers and tailors, most of them of French origin. A bath house and two theaters (Circo and Baquet), as well as the elegant department store 'Armazéns Hermínios', were once placed here.
As a result, the rich heritage of 31 de Janeiro includes the Art Nouveau decorated facades of Machado Jewelers, Casa Vicent and Reis Filhos, amongst others. The reintroduction of the line 22 of tram, that climbs this cobbled street again since September 2007, has added another touristic attraction to this lively commercial hub, nested between Batalha Square and Carmo Church.