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Recommended Reviews - Igreja dos Clérigos
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We didn't climb the 200+ steps for a view of all of Porto's charming chaos, tiled roofs, crooked alleys, and the Douro just flexing below but she was still the central marking and beautiful there she stood. The church is baroque on baroque. Gold leaf for days. The clock tower is consistent and dramatic. Some towns just need one.
The Clérigos Church is one of the first baroque churches in Portugal with an elliptic floorplan. The altarpiece of the main chapel, made of polychromed marble, was executed by Manuel dos Santos Porto. The historic tower of the church, is located at the back of the building, The baroque decoration here also shows influence from the Roman Baroque, while the whole design was inspired by Tuscan campaniles. The tower is 75.6 metres high with 240 steps to be climbed to reach the top. The entry cost is €6 per person. The view from the top is a view you can get for free from many other historical building. I would recommend to visit the church and then move on. We climbed the Monastery of Serra do Pilar which is a former monastery located in Vila Nova de Gaia and offers one of the most spectacular view of the city for free!
This surely is a landmark in Porto and a must-see. Built between 1732 - 1750. The unique and impressive tower at the back of the church was built between 1754 and 1763. The tower is 75.6 metres high and there are 240 steps to be climbed to reach the top. And if you're lucky about timing, you can enjoy the nice bells ringing. A wonderful piece of art and architecture. Nice to take some pics - even though the angle is a tough one to get a really good pic. But as usual it's best to see with your own eyes and to enjoy the beauty of it. It's located on top of a hill. Nothing tough, but may be a bit difficult with wheelchair or stroller. The old town center of Porto can easily be done by foot. We just did the Rua Santa Catarina, Rua das Flores and then headed here. Makes a nice walk.
We arrived at 11:00 a.m., stood in line for tickets until 11:30 a.m., stood around waiting for our noon entry time, toured most the facility by 12:30 p.m., but then stood in line to access the tower for 30 more minutes. After climbing to the top, we took a couple of panoramic pictures of Porto, walked back down, and exited the building at roughly 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon. That's a 2.5-hour commitment for a church interior that's no more impressive than others in town, and a view that can be had for free elsewhere. You'd better REALLY want to see Clérigos Tower and be willing to lose 2.5 hours from your day! My advice is to skip this time suck altogether, see the interior of nearby Ingreja de São José das Taipas for free (which is nearly as impressive and only a 3-minute walk west), and get your stellar city views from the top of the Dom Luís I Bridge instead of this overrated tower. Take my advice!
After I got to Porto, this was the first place I went to. With my cousin, we went to buy a ticket, where we were able to get the student discount and pay 2€, which was good. Either way, it would've been worth it. The sanctuary was stunning. The pink ceilings, although they might not sound super appealing, were a great combination with the rest of the interior. It was quiet and filled with the respectful and holy feeling of any old church like this one. As for the museum, it was not incredibly awe-inspiring. Were there some really interesting artifacts? Yes, definitely. But, it was not something that would make you open your mouth in wonder. The tower, however, was another experience altogether. The view was as great as was advertised, if not better. You could see all of Porto from the top, so long as you were able to dodge all the other people there. I do think it would have been a little more enjoyable if they limited the flow of people to reduce congestion, as you had to wait for people to ascend or descend the stairs, and squeeze past them once you were on the top level.
One of the main symbols that identify Porto, along with the Ponte Dom Luís I bridge and the Sé do Porto, the Igreja dos Clérigos is the best characteristic landmark for the city. This Baroque church was built between 1732 and 1750. The tower is 75 meters (250 feet) tall. That's quite an impressive engineering feat for 1750. And you can climb the tower, the 240 steps will give you a full 360 degree view from the narrow observation deck. The climb is definitely not for those who are either claustrophobic or agoraphobic as the very narrow stairways can be a bit constricting and the view at the top is quite exposed. But worth it! There is a neat tour of the church and their artifacts to get to the base of the tower and start the climb. I was fortunate to be here while some sort of christening was going on, which was rather cool to see and hear. Ensure that you are here on a clear day to get the best experience. [Round number review 9900 overall, 1478 of 2018.]
I remember reading that Porto is home to the Iberian Peninsula's largest synagogue. AT SOME POINT it dawned on me that Catholicism is actually an even bigger deal here. It was a hazy shade of winter Sunday, marijuana MAY have been involved, I don't remember exactly WHEN I had my epiphany. It may have occurred earlier in the rainy streets, my sweet Portuguese friend shared her umbrella and we passed numerous indigo mural facades of Porto's many old Catholic churches. The Clerigos museum should have tipped me off, with its collection of crucifixions. Or it may have been the stunning interior of Clerigos Church itself, where my friend and I shared stories of our Catholic upbringings. The only certainty I have about my breakthrough realization is that it DEFINITELY DID NOT occur when I was climbing the bell tower because I had nearly zero thoughts. There was only ONE thing on my mind: RAW SURVIVAL. The bell tower, icon of Porto, is visible from so many points in the city because it is really freaking high. I should probably point out that I'm not afraid of anything EVER. MY FRIEND IS NOT AFRAID OF PIGEONS and I'm not afraid of taking photos at heights, on top of centuries old bell towers, with slippery pea soup weather punctuated by perhaps tropical storm-strength gusts of wind. Anyways, Clerigos was my favorite church I visited in Portugal, where yes, Catholicism is kind of a big deal. There's even a Costa Coffee right next door, where a cafe con leche and chocolate muffin mellowed my PTSD.
Don't let the underwhelming exterior façade fool you. There is an amazingly ornate and lavish cathedral inside with no entry fee that is well worth seeing. There were very few tourists when I visited and everyone was very respectful and reverent. I hope it remains this way. I do not see a separate listing on yelp for the tower, which does have a modest entrance fee of 4 euros to climb to the top. I climbed this tower in the evening to watch the sunset and it was well worth the strenuous climb. Fabulous 360° views from the top. Obviously it takes a lot of exertion and you should not do this if you are not in good physical shape. Be aware that the ancient stone stairway is very narrow at times only one person wide, during crowded time such as sunset it becomes very difficult to get past people going up or down. Once you get to the top the observation area is again only one person wide so you almost have to wait in line as you side shuffle around the tower to see the whole view. I still recommend doing this as it is an amazing view.
Igreja dos Clérigos is a great church in Porto and one of my favorites overall in Portgual. As soon as you walk in you can feel all of the history and the centuries of faith all around you. It is a magnificent church inside and outside as the exterior and tower portion is grand and awe inspiring and the interior is beautifully decorated and has so many things to see and details to observe and notice. I liked the overall atmosphere and vibe of this church as it was welcoming and accommodating. They are very well organized and are able to efficiently handle many visitors at once without being overly crowded or noisy and keeps the lines moving so everyone has a chance to enjoy the church. The views from the tower are amazing as you get a chance to see a 360 view of Porto and truly appreciate all that the city has. I had a wonderful time here.
During my visit to Porto, I stayed right next door to this church! The sound of the cathedral bells tolling is now such a part of my memories of staying there. This is a beautiful cathedral, centrally located in the heart of Porto, with a beautiful interior. You can walk in for free and perhaps catch an organ performance. You can also go up to the tower for a fee, which I didn't do because it was a stormy day. Beautiful place to visit if you are in Porto.
I thought I'd have to bribe Jamie W to climb this historic tower, but he surprised me by not whining about it. I knew from more youthful vloggers on YouTube that the panoramic views were spectacular from the top. At 246 feet, the tower is the highest point in Porto's historic center. However, before we climbed the inevitable 240 steps, the museum beckoned. It was formerly the private quarters of the clerics who founded the church. The space now houses religious artifacts and related art exhibits and extends into the High Church Gallery, a balcony promenade that provides an elevated view of the church's ornate nave (Photo 5). Before entering the stairwell, we had our photos taken in front of a green screen for souvenirs they pitched to us later. The climb wasn't that bad, just a bit claustrophobic in some sections, specially when we had to squeeze by perspiring tourists. They were more spritzing than sprinting. There are two observation floors. The first is about 2/3 of the way up, while the narrower space at the summit provides the ultimate payoff with panoramic cityscape and river views (Video). As usual, the climb down was easier since we knew how long it should take. And yes, there were photos of us standing at the summit in comic poses. I usually bypass them, but for 8€, I couldn't help myself (Photo 7). RELATED - Exploring Porto? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/CzAl-vBlP0 read more
A historic climb for a view of Porto's skyline. The Clérigos Tower is a baroque landmark easily spotted from vantage points across historic Porto, and therefore one that's worth climbing for that panoramic view from above. The 75m bell tower monument is connected to a church that was built for the Clergy brotherhood in the 18th century. The ornate church and relic exhibit are also worth sightseeing to gain appreciation of its history. We pre-booked our visit (€10) and were serenaded with a concert taking place in front of the brilliantly lit church altar. From there we were able to head above the nave for a full vantage of the church and dome in its pink & white marble tones. At our exact booking time, we were able to queue in line before taking the steps up the actual tower. The queue was slow-moving because the staircase is narrow and the steps themselves were quite steep making it challenging particularly for those with knee pains. Once we made it to the top, we were rewarded with the 360 panoramic views including the famous bridges connecting to Gaia, and the historical city centre with orange rooftops underneath. It can be a workout getting up and down as the tight staircase has to accommodate the constant two-way flow of visitors. Skip it or hit it? This is one of the prominent sites in Porto but be ready for the stairs. read more
11 months ago
Clerigos is a Roman Catholic, Baroque-style church that was built in the 1700s. According to its website, its bell tower has a height of 75 meters, and visitors may climb 225 narrow steps over 6 floors to reach the top and enjoy a view of the surrounding city and river. Clerigos is an active church with a mass schedule, but visitors may purchase tickets either on-site or online for self-tours and guided tours. Admission fees vary based on age. Furthermore, behind the church is a museum that was former housing for the clerics and showcases artwork and furniture. During my husband's and my vacation in Porto, our tour guide dropped us off near this church. The building had a narrow footprint and prominently stood taller than the surrounding buildings. The tall tower and the ornate stone carvings looked beautiful. read more
We didn't climb the 200+ steps for a view of all of Porto's charming chaos, tiled roofs, crooked alleys, and the Douro just flexing below but she was still the central marking and beautiful there she stood. The church is baroque on baroque. Gold leaf for days. The clock tower is consistent and dramatic. Some towns just need one. read more
3 years ago
The Clérigos Church is one of the first baroque churches in Portugal with an elliptic floorplan. The altarpiece of the main chapel, made of polychromed marble, was executed by Manuel dos Santos Porto. The historic tower of the church, is located at the back of the building, The baroque decoration here also shows influence from the Roman Baroque, while the whole design was inspired by Tuscan campaniles. The tower is 75.6 metres high with 240 steps to be climbed to reach the top. The entry cost is €6 per person. The view from the top is a view you can get for free from many other historical building. I would recommend to visit the church and then move on. We climbed the Monastery of Serra do Pilar which is a former monastery located in Vila Nova de Gaia and offers one of the most spectacular view of the city for free! read more
3 years ago
This surely is a landmark in Porto and a must-see. Built between 1732 - 1750. The unique and impressive tower at the back of the church was built between 1754 and 1763. The tower is 75.6 metres high and there are 240 steps to be climbed to reach the top. And if you're lucky about timing, you can enjoy the nice bells ringing. A wonderful piece of art and architecture. Nice to take some pics - even though the angle is a tough one to get a really good pic. But as usual it's best to see with your own eyes and to enjoy the beauty of it. It's located on top of a hill. Nothing tough, but may be a bit difficult with wheelchair or stroller. The old town center of Porto can easily be done by foot. We just did the Rua Santa Catarina, Rua das Flores and then headed here. Makes a nice walk. read more
4 years ago
We arrived at 11:00 a.m., stood in line for tickets until 11:30 a.m., stood around waiting for our noon entry time, toured most the facility by 12:30 p.m., but then stood in line to access the tower for 30 more minutes. After climbing to the top, we took a couple of panoramic pictures of Porto, walked back down, and exited the building at roughly 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon. That's a 2.5-hour commitment for a church interior that's no more impressive than others in town, and a view that can be had for free elsewhere. You'd better REALLY want to see Clérigos Tower and be willing to lose 2.5 hours from your day! My advice is to skip this time suck altogether, see the interior of nearby Ingreja de São José das Taipas for free (which is nearly as impressive and only a 3-minute walk west), and get your stellar city views from the top of the Dom Luís I Bridge instead of this overrated tower. Take my advice! read more
2 years ago
After I got to Porto, this was the first place I went to. With my cousin, we went to buy a ticket, where we were able to get the student discount and pay 2€, which was good. Either way, it would've been worth it. The sanctuary was stunning. The pink ceilings, although they might not sound super appealing, were a great combination with the rest of the interior. It was quiet and filled with the respectful and holy feeling of any old church like this one. As for the museum, it was not incredibly awe-inspiring. Were there some really interesting artifacts? Yes, definitely. But, it was not something that would make you open your mouth in wonder. The tower, however, was another experience altogether. The view was as great as was advertised, if not better. You could see all of Porto from the top, so long as you were able to dodge all the other people there. I do think it would have been a little more enjoyable if they limited the flow of people to reduce congestion, as you had to wait for people to ascend or descend the stairs, and squeeze past them once you were on the top level. read more
One of the main symbols that identify Porto, along with the Ponte Dom Luís I bridge and the Sé do Porto, the Igreja dos Clérigos is the best characteristic landmark for the city. This Baroque church was built between 1732 and 1750. The tower is 75 meters (250 feet) tall. That's quite an impressive engineering feat for 1750. And you can climb the tower, the 240 steps will give you a full 360 degree view from the narrow observation deck. The climb is definitely not for those who are either claustrophobic or agoraphobic as the very narrow stairways can be a bit constricting and the view at the top is quite exposed. But worth it! There is a neat tour of the church and their artifacts to get to the base of the tower and start the climb. I was fortunate to be here while some sort of christening was going on, which was rather cool to see and hear. Ensure that you are here on a clear day to get the best experience. [Round number review 9900 overall, 1478 of 2018.] read more
2 years ago
I remember reading that Porto is home to the Iberian Peninsula's largest synagogue. AT SOME POINT it dawned on me that Catholicism is actually an even bigger deal here. It was a hazy shade of winter Sunday, marijuana MAY have been involved, I don't remember exactly WHEN I had my epiphany. It may have occurred earlier in the rainy streets, my sweet Portuguese friend shared her umbrella and we passed numerous indigo mural facades of Porto's many old Catholic churches. The Clerigos museum should have tipped me off, with its collection of crucifixions. Or it may have been the stunning interior of Clerigos Church itself, where my friend and I shared stories of our Catholic upbringings. The only certainty I have about my breakthrough realization is that it DEFINITELY DID NOT occur when I was climbing the bell tower because I had nearly zero thoughts. There was only ONE thing on my mind: RAW SURVIVAL. The bell tower, icon of Porto, is visible from so many points in the city because it is really freaking high. I should probably point out that I'm not afraid of anything EVER. MY FRIEND IS NOT AFRAID OF PIGEONS and I'm not afraid of taking photos at heights, on top of centuries old bell towers, with slippery pea soup weather punctuated by perhaps tropical storm-strength gusts of wind. Anyways, Clerigos was my favorite church I visited in Portugal, where yes, Catholicism is kind of a big deal. There's even a Costa Coffee right next door, where a cafe con leche and chocolate muffin mellowed my PTSD. read more
10 years ago
Don't let the underwhelming exterior façade fool you. There is an amazingly ornate and lavish cathedral inside with no entry fee that is well worth seeing. There were very few tourists when I visited and everyone was very respectful and reverent. I hope it remains this way. I do not see a separate listing on yelp for the tower, which does have a modest entrance fee of 4 euros to climb to the top. I climbed this tower in the evening to watch the sunset and it was well worth the strenuous climb. Fabulous 360° views from the top. Obviously it takes a lot of exertion and you should not do this if you are not in good physical shape. Be aware that the ancient stone stairway is very narrow at times only one person wide, during crowded time such as sunset it becomes very difficult to get past people going up or down. Once you get to the top the observation area is again only one person wide so you almost have to wait in line as you side shuffle around the tower to see the whole view. I still recommend doing this as it is an amazing view. read more
5 years ago
7 years ago
Igreja dos Clérigos is a great church in Porto and one of my favorites overall in Portgual. As soon as you walk in you can feel all of the history and the centuries of faith all around you. It is a magnificent church inside and outside as the exterior and tower portion is grand and awe inspiring and the interior is beautifully decorated and has so many things to see and details to observe and notice. I liked the overall atmosphere and vibe of this church as it was welcoming and accommodating. They are very well organized and are able to efficiently handle many visitors at once without being overly crowded or noisy and keeps the lines moving so everyone has a chance to enjoy the church. The views from the tower are amazing as you get a chance to see a 360 view of Porto and truly appreciate all that the city has. I had a wonderful time here. read more
11 years ago
During my visit to Porto, I stayed right next door to this church! The sound of the cathedral bells tolling is now such a part of my memories of staying there. This is a beautiful cathedral, centrally located in the heart of Porto, with a beautiful interior. You can walk in for free and perhaps catch an organ performance. You can also go up to the tower for a fee, which I didn't do because it was a stormy day. Beautiful place to visit if you are in Porto. read more
11 years ago
10 years ago
