Casa Vicent 1.84

Casa Vicent is a historic building in the civil parish of Santo Ildefonso, in the Portuguese city of Porto. Located in the historic lower town (Baixa), the shop is notable for the Art Nouveau and Rococo elements and undualting forms of its iron facade; it is similar to the facades of the Ourivesaria Cunha and Ourivesaria Reis along the same road, all constructed by the Companhia Aliança.HistoryAt the beginning of the 20th century, Porto boasted several refined and well provided for cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, largely due to the development of the Port wine trade and the strong British influence upon the city.As in the main European cities of the day, it was at the dawn of the 20th century that Porto experienced the blossoming of the Art Nouveau movement. Its architects tried to harmonize decorative expression with plants and flowers, often choosing commercial buildings and cafés for their work. New materials such as iron and glass evoked the power of industry and advances in science and technology since the previous century. Some examples of such emblematic buildings are the Café Majestic, the Ourivesaria Cunha (Goldsmiths) and Reis & Filhos, where techniques used with carved and chiseled silver were replicated with cast iron.Founded in Porto around 1852, Companhia Aliança was established by the Baron of Massarelos and Gaspar da Cunha Lima. The Rua 31 de Janeiro became an important commercial artery, where many foreign merchants installed their businesses, including Vicent, Delage, Buisson, etc. The building's name came from the foreign occupant, who early on installed his business in the spaces, a Spanish merchant named Vicent.