Can the history of an institution be kept between the four walls of a building? In the case of the U.Porto, our legacy is written every day between modern buildings harmoniously integrated in the urban landscape and a set of buildings that are testimonies of almost 250 years of an extraordinary history.
Among these spaces, stands out the University's Historic Building, located in Praça Gomes Teixeira (or "Praça dos Leões").
The "mother house" of the University was built on the foundations of the Colégio dos Meninos Órfãos and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Graça (17th century). The Royal Navy and Trade Academy and, later, the Polytechnic Academy of Porto, both predecessors of the University of Porto, were installed here.
After the creation of the University, in 1911, the building became home to the Rectory, the Faculty of Science (1911-2006), the Technical Faculty (1915-1937), the 1st Faculty of Arts (1919) and the Faculty of Economics (1953-1974).
Following the fire that destroyed part of the building, in 1974, the services of the Rectory were transferred to another localiton. They would return in 2007, after the move of the Faculty of Sciences to the Campo Alegre campus.
Currently, and besides the Rectory services, the Central Centre of the Museum of Natural History and Science (MHNC-UP), the Common House, the University of Porto Shop and the historical Old Collection Library are located here.
