Museum of the City – Casa do Infante
The Casa do Infante, also known as the Alfândega Velha (Old Custom House), is one of Porto’s most significant medieval civic buildings, traditionally identified as the birthplace of Henry the Navigator in 1394. Today it houses the Museum of the City, presenting the urban and maritime history of Porto from Roman times to the present through archaeology, cartography, and documents.
- Type
- City history museum and medieval civic building
- Period
- 14th century (original structure); museum opened 1993
- Style
- Gothic civil architecture with later modifications
- Location
- Rua da Alfândega 10, 4050-029 Porto, Portugal
- Coordinates
- 41.1408° N, 8.6166° W
Overview
The Casa do Infante stands in the Ribeira district of Porto, steps from the Douro riverfront, at an address that has served as a customs house since at least the 14th century. The building acquired legendary status through its association with Prince Henry the Navigator, the driving force behind Portugal’s Age of Exploration. Today the city uses it to interpret Porto’s layered past — from Roman settlements to the mercantile republic that shaped Atlantic history.
History
Documents record a royal customs house on this site from the early 14th century, managed by the Crown to control trade entering Porto by river. According to tradition, Prince Henry, son of King John I and Philippa of Lancaster, was born here on 4 March 1394 — a date commemorated by the building’s name, Casa do Infante (House of the Prince). Excavations carried out before the museum’s 1993 opening revealed a Roman domus beneath the medieval fabric, extending the site’s documented occupation by more than a millennium.
What you see
The building presents a sober Gothic facade onto Rua da Alfândega, with arched windows and a carved stone portal. Inside, the ground floor preserves exposed Roman mosaic floors and archaeological layers visible through glass panels set into the modern museum floor. Upper galleries display maps, engravings, photographs, and civic objects tracing Porto’s growth from a medieval port to a 19th-century industrial city.
Cultural significance
The Casa do Infante occupies a symbolic position in Portuguese national memory: Henry the Navigator is the figure who launched the systematic exploration of the African coast and, indirectly, the route to India. Porto celebrates this heritage through the museum while the building itself — a rare surviving medieval civic structure in the UNESCO-listed historic centre — anchors the Ribeira waterfront’s architectural identity.
Practical information
Address: Rua da Alfândega 10, 4050-029 Porto. The museum is managed by Porto City Council. Check the official website of the Câmara Municipal do Porto for current opening hours and admission prices, as these may change seasonally.
Getting there
The Casa do Infante is in the Ribeira district, a short walk from the São Bento railway station (15 minutes on foot) and from the Aliados metro station (Line D, yellow). Multiple bus lines serve Ribeira. The area is pedestrian-friendly; parking is limited — public car parks are available near Avenida Gustavo Eiffel.