It is believed that the first settlers of the area which is now Porto were the Celtics, or possibly even the historic ancestors to the Celtics.  Very little is known about the influence of these people in the area, although archaeological research continues to explore this important part of ancient Porto history.  In terms of history which is well-known in the area, Porto was primarily first settled by the ancient Romans.

Much of Porto’s history is comprised of a tenuous relationship between the people of Portugal and the people of other parts of Europe.  In the beginning, there were struggles by the Moors to conquer the area.  In later years, Porto was the setting for a marriage between the king of Portugal and the princess of England, marking a commitment to a political alliance between the two countries.  In the eighteen century, Porto was the site for development of Italian architecture, with the most important building of the time being the Tower of Clerics ( http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction... ).

With the Industrial Revolution came a two-fold change to Porto’s relationship with the rest of the world.  On the one hand, Porto became more linked to the area.  On the other, it was able to grow in its independence as an area in its own right.  The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw these changes develop rapidly.  In the twentieth century, Porto became known as a travel destination, marking another change in its historical relationship with the larger world.