Other noteworthy public buildings are the museum, library, opera-house, bull-ring, hospital and quarantine station. The crystal palace is a large glass and iron structure built for the industrial exhibition of 1865. The English factory, built in 1790, has been converted into a club for the British residents—a large and im portant community whose members are chiefly connected with the wine and shipping trades. The English club gave its name to the Rua Nova dos Inglezes, one of the busiest streets, which contains many banks, warehouses and steamship offices. The Rua da Al fandega, skirting the right bank of the Douro and passing the custom house (alfcindega), is of similar character; here may be seen characteristic types of the fishermen and peasants of north ern Portugal. The Rua das Flores contains, on its eastern side, the shops of the cloth-dealers; on the west are the jewellers' shops, with a remarkable display of gold and silver filigree-work and enamelled gold. These ornaments are often very artistic, and are largely worn on holidays by women of the poorer classes.
Oporto is chiefly famous for the export of the wine which bears its name. An act passed on Jan. 29, 1906 defined "port" as a wine grown in the Douro district, exported from Oporto, and contain ing more than 16.5% of alcoholic strength. The vines from which it is made grow in the Paiz do Vinho, a hilly region about 6o m. up the river, and having an area of 27 m. in length by 5 or 6 in breadth. The trade was established in 1678, but the shipments for some years did not exceed 600 pipes (of 115 gallons each). In 1703 the British government concluded the Methuen treaty with Portugal, under which Portuguese wines were admitted on easier terms than French or German, and henceforward "port" began to be drunk (see PORTUGAL: History). In 1747 the export reached 17,00o pipes. In 1754 the great wine monopoly company of Oporto originated, under which the shipments rose to 33,00o pipes. At the beginning of the 19th century the policy of the government more and more favoured port wine, besides which the vintages from 1802 to 1815 were splendid both in Portugal and in Madeira —that of 1815 has, in fact, never been excelled. For the next few years the grape crop was not at all good, but the 1820 vintage was the most remarkable of any. It was singularly sweet and black, besides being equal in quality to that of 1815. In 1852 the Oidium
which spread over Europe destroyed many of the Portuguese vineyards. In 1865 Phylloxera did much damage, and in 1867 the second monopoly company was abolished. From this time the exports again increased. (See WINE.) A third of the population is engaged in the manufacture of cot tons, woollens, leather, silk, gloves, hats, pottery, corks, tobacco, spirits, beer, aerated waters, preserved foods, soap or jewellery. The fisheries—chiefly of hake, bream and sardines—are extensive. Many tourists land at Oporto and visit Braga (q.v.), Bussaco (q.v.) and other places of interest, on their way to Lisbon. There is also a large tourist traffic from Germany.
The history of Oporto dates from an early period. Before the Roman invasion, under the name of Portus Cale, it was a town on the south bank of the Douro with a good trade; the Alani subse quently founded a city on the north bank, calling it Castrum Novum. About A.D. 540 the Visigoths under Leovigild obtained possession, but yielded place in 716 to the Moors. The Christians, however, recaptured Oporto in 997, and it became the capital of the counts of Portucalia for part of the period during which the Moors ruled in the southern provinces of Portugal. (See PORTU GAL: History.) The Moors once more became its masters for a short period, till in 1092 it was brought finally under Christian domination. The citizens rebelled in 1628 against an unpopular tax, in 1661 for a similar reason, in 1757 against the wine monopoly, and in 1808 against the French. The town is renowned in British military annals from the duke of Wellington's passage of the Douro, by which he surprised and put to flight the French army under Marshal Soult, capturing the city on the I 2th of May 1809. Oporto sustained a severe siege in 1832-33, being bravely defended against the Miguelites by Dom Pedro with 7,000 soldiers; 16,00o of its inhabitants perished. In the constitutional crises of 1820, 1826, 1836, 1842, 1891 and 1908-10 the action of Oporto, as the capital of northern Portugal, was always of the ut most importance. In 1919 the monarchy was proclaimed at Oporto and lasted for three weeks. In Feb. 1927, having been chosen by disaffected regiments, in touch with political and com munist elements, as the scene of their rising, it was bombarded during three days by Government troops and suffered heavily.