São Bento Railway Station – Porto
Sara Mello, certified tour guide based in Porto, shares the remarkable story of São Bento Station — a place where French-inspired architecture meets Portugal’s finest tile art. More than a train station, it’s a living piece of the city’s soul.
Sara Mello, a certified national tour guide living and working in Porto, takes us through the captivating history of São Bento Railway Station — one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Located in the heart of Porto, the station is especially famous for its magnificent azulejo panels, which depict historical scenes from Portuguese life in stunning blue and white tilework.
The building itself was designed by the renowned Porto-born architect José Marques da Silva, with a clear French architectural influence. Though construction began in the late 19th century, the station’s journey to completion was long and complex. The original convent of São Bento was demolished in 1896 to make way for the new station, and a temporary station opened that same year. However, expropriations and the construction of the nearby Avé Maria Tunnel delayed progress.
The official project was submitted in 1897, almost a decade after its initial conception in 1888. Multiple revisions followed — five major volumetric solutions in total — as authorities requested cost reductions and the integration of additional services like telegraph and postal offices within the building. The final station, as we know it today, was officially inaugurated on October 5, 1916 — 20 years after its provisional opening.
What remains today is not just a transit hub, but a richly layered symbol of Porto’s history, culture, and resilience — told through architecture, art, and the voice of someone who knows it best.