Cais do Valongo (Valongo Wharf)

The Valongo Wharf was the main port of arrival of enslaved Africans in the Americas from 1811 until 1831, with an estimate of about one million people landing there. Many of them died shortly after disembarkment, and those who had survived the perilous journey were sold in nearby slave markets. In 1843, the wharf was renamed the Empress’s Pier after it was refurbished to receive Princess Teresa Cristina Maria de Bourbon, bride of future Emperor Dom Pedro II. The original wharf was rediscovered in 2011 during archaeological excavations. Today, the Valongo Wharf is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has thus been recognized as a significant place of memory of the Atlantic slave trade. 

For more information, see: Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site - UNESCO World Heritage Centre