Monumento a D. Pedro IV

Site under construction in January/2022

Monument to a Portuguese king who left a pleasant memory in the town. Located in a very busy square in Porto, Aliados.

Erected in the center of Praça da Liberdade, in 1866, this commemorative statue has two symbolic moments of homage to D. Pedro IV and his role in the consolidation of the constitutional movement and liberalism: the delivery, in an urn, of his heart to the city ​​of Porto and the landing of liberal troops in Mindelo.

Beautiful equestrian statue of D. Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil, who abdicated the Brazilian throne in favor of his son D. Pedro II, assuming the throne of the Portuguese Kingdom under the name D. Pedro IV. The statue is in Praça da Liberdade, opposite the City Hall.

artistic The large site chosen in the 19th century to erect the monument to D. Pedro IV (1826-1828), the current Praça da Liberdade, appeared in the 18th century, on the former Campo das Hortas, with the designation of "Praça Nova", which would succeed the "Praça de D. Pedro" and the "Praça da República". The choice of this site was not fortuitous, as the Square assumes an absolutely neuralgic character in the life of Porto, at the same time that it stands out for its strategic position in geographical terms, by providing a clear visibility over the City Hall building itself, being, also for this reason, adopted by politicians and intellectuals to debate ideas and ideals throughout the second half of the 1800s. After the opening and appreciation of the projects put up for competition, the choice fell on the project conceived by the sculptor Celestin-Anatole Calmels (1822-1906) and by Joaquim da Costa Lima, which would not be, at all, admirable given the personal curriculum of the main artist. Of French nationality, Anatole Calmels lived among us for several years, where he was mainly known for the sculptural works executed for the São Bento Palace, such as some busts and medallions with effigies. But not only that, as it also stood out for the execution, among others, of the sculptural group of the pediment of the Lisbon City Hall and the statue of the tomb of the Dukes of Palmela, in the Cemitério dos Prazeres.

The Monument to D. Pedro IV is located in Praça da Liberdade. It is an equestrian statue of the sculptor Célestin Anatole Calmels. The first stone was laid on July 9, 1862. It was inaugurated on October 19, 1866. It is 10 meters high and has five tons of bronze. The bronze statue shows D. Pedro IV in his right hand holding the Constitutional Charter of 1826 and in his left the reins of the horse. On the pedestal are represented, in two bas-reliefs, two scenes from the life of the honored one. The original bas-reliefs were in Carrara marble, later replaced by others in bronze. These were stolen in 2007. In March 2008, replicas faithful to the original were installed.