São Bento railway station

São Bento Railway Station (Estação Ferroviária de São Bento)
São Bento Station
Railway Station (Estação Ferroviária)
The main facade of the São Bento Railway Station
Official name: Estação Ferroviária de São Bento/Estação de São Bento
Named for: Convent São Bento de Avé Maria
Country	Portugal
Region	Norte
Subregion	Greater Porto
District	Porto
Municipality	Porto
Location	Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória
- coordinates	41°8′44″N 8°36′37.2″W / 41.14556°N 8.610333°W / 41.14556; -8.610333Coordinates: 41°8′44″N 8°36′37.2″W / 41.14556°N 8.610333°W / 41.14556; -8.610333
Architects	José Marques da Silva, Juan Pina, F2IS
Styles	French, Beaux-Arts
Materials	Ceramic, Wood, Stone, Azulejo, Iron
Initiated	1864
Owner	Portuguese Republic
For public	Public
Easiest access	Praça de Almeida Garrett, Rua do Loureiro e Rua da Madeira
Management	Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico
Status	Property of Public Interest Imóvel de Interesse Público
Listing	Decree 67/97, Diário da Repúblic, Série-1B, 301 (31 December 1997); Incluído in the Historic Centre of the City of Porto (PT011312140163) and the Historic Zone of the City of Porto (PT011312070086)

The São Bento Railway Station (Portuguese: Estação Ferroviária de São Bento) is an 19th-century railway station in the civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, in the municipality of Porto, district of Porto.

Even by 1864, the Guia Histórico do Viajante do Porto e Arredores (Historic Guide for the Traveller to Porto and Surroundings) there was information suggesting that the construction of central station, to located in the Palacette of the Quinta do Cirne (Campo 24 de Agosto).

In 1887, José Maria Ferreira and António Júlio Machado, alderman, presented to the municipal council a project for a Central Station in Porto, elaborated Hippolyte de Bare. The following year, Emídio Navarro, Minister of Public Works, authorized the construction a line of railway between Campanhã and a central station, which would be established in the proximity of Praça de D. Pedro.

The final decision would be to erect the station on the site of the Benedictine Convent of São Bento da Avé Maria, which had been ordered built by King D. Manuel I of Portugal in 1518. But, the monastery fell victim of a fire in 1783, was later rebuilt, but was in a grave state of disrepair at the end of the 19th century.

The project was entrusted to Porto architect José Marques da Silva, who designed a building under the influence of French Beaux-Arts architecture.

In 1890, work on the tunnel proceeded, and lasted until its conclusion in 1893. The first train arrived at the station in São Bento in 1896, where Marques da Silva presented his final course for the central station railway in Porto. But, tragedy: in 1897, there was a landslide at the opening to the tunnel to southern edge of the station. The work on the northern wharf was concluded. By the following year, the tunnel was completed.