Clérigos Church, an 18th-century baroque building topped by the nearly 250-foot Torre dos Clérigos (or Clérigos Tower), offers unrivalled views of the Douro River and Porto's old town.

An abundance of gilt wood carvings (reportedly more than 800 pounds of gold) make up the columns, vaulted ceilings and walls of this church, which started to take shape in 1245. A traveler ...

Back in the 16 th century, the Catholic Church, the main religious power in Portugal, sought to stymie the rise of Protestantism in Europe. Building such a monument, which depicts death directly ...