Clérigos Tower marked 5 million visitors in a public ceremony

The Clérigos Tower has reached a record number of visitors, with 5 million people visiting the site. 

The Brotherhood of the Clérigos celebrated the mark of 5 million visitors and has invited the President of the Republic to play the role of the illustrious "5 million" visitor. The public ceremony, which included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, concluded with the visit by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to the monument, accompanied by the Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, the Bishop of Porto, D. Manuel Linda, and by the President of the Clérigos Brotherhood, father Manuel Fernando.

Welcoming the "5 million" visitor was symbolic and held according to the public health measures in place, due to the ongoing pandemic. The President of the Clérigos Brotherhood stated to Ecclesia Agency that the invitation to the President of the Republic "is almost the mobilising for Portuguese to visit patrimony and do so in the country".

"Obviously, these numbers - five million - have a great impact. Five million is the level of the Portuguese population", father Manuel Fernando explained to Ecclesia.

The number of visitors started to be counted on 12th December 2014, just one year following the renovation works; which means that the number of visitors to that monument is likely larger than five millions. The count was not done systematically, so the above mentioned date marks the starting point to these numbers.

The distinctive Baroque ensemble of buildings located in the city of Porto has undergone a broad restoration project of both the interior and exterior. The works were completed in just two years in a joint effort by the Brotherhood of the Clérigos, owner, the Regional Cultural Directorate of the North, the Porto City Hall, the Porto Santa Casa da Misericórdia and the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and with support from the European Regional Development Fund.