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    Ribeira do Porto (Porto, Portugal)

    Considered one of the most emblematic areas of Porto (Portugal), the Ribeira district, located in the historical centre of the city, has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. Of medieval origin, it is one of the oldest areas of the city, standing out for its historical and heritage value and its picturesque scenery — a meeting point with the river Douro lined with colourful houses, wine cellars and labyrinthine side streets.

    photo of Porto's riverfront
    Ribeira do Porto (picture by Filipa Brito / Porto Film Commission)

    Porto’s riverside district served as the setting for many works by Portugal’s most prolific director, Manoel de Oliveira, who thus captured it for eternity on film. Decades later, the memories of Rabelo boats in DOURO, FAINA FLUVIAL (1931), with Gaia on the horizon, or the children of ANIKI-BOBÓ (1942), have endured not only in the local memory.

    The affection the filmmaker had for the city in which he grew up — and in particular for the Douro River waterfront — is clear throughout his career in the cinema, not least in PORTO OF MY CHILDHOOD (2001). This documentary, filmed when the director was 93 years old, sees him casting an intimate eye over the city and his childhood recollections in a stunning tribute to Porto and its Ribeira.

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