Starting by saying that "almost two centuries ago, a king left Porto what he held most precious," the Irmandade da Lapa reveals that the heart will be "exceptionally displayed to the public, in an evocative journey through the decisive moments of the monarch's life" that marked the history of Portugal and Brazil.

"But why did King Pedro want his heart to remain in Porto? What profound relationship united him to the city? And what story lies behind this extraordinary legacy? In September, the Irmandade da Lapa invites you to discover this story. On September 25, 26, and 27, the heart of King Pedro IV will be exceptionally displayed to the public," reads the Facebook post.

First in Brazil, fourth in Portugal

King Pedro I of Brazil and Pedro IV of Portugal was the monarch who led Brazil, a former Portuguese colony, to independence, and his body rests in the Brazilian city of São Paulo.

The monarch donated his heart to Porto because he lived in the city during the months of the Siege of Porto (between July 1832 and August 1833) and "there was an enormous complicity between him and the population," explained historian and member of the Order of Lapa, Ribeiro da Silva, to Lusa in 2013, who classified the donation as "a unique gesture in the history of Portugal."

At the time, the historian explained that the heart was not exposed because "it is a very fragile organ" and many years old, and the Order of Lapa tried to open the mausoleum "as little as possible."

King Pedro IV died in September 1834, and his wife, Queen Amélia, "had his heart enclosed in a casket (a kind of vase, or jewellery box) with two lids and gave it to the king's aide-de-camp who came from Lisbon to Porto on a ship."

Arrival in Porto

The heart arrived in Porto in February 1835, almost five months after the monarch's death, and was "in procession from Ribeira to Lapa" and "the whole city was present."

The heart arrived in Lapa in a mahogany urn, inside which was a case (the original was the only piece replaced, but it remains in the church) and, inside that, a gilded silver vase with two lids.

It took “two years of waiting” for the City Council and the Irmandade da Lapa to “reach an agreement on the site where the monument should be placed,” a period during which the heart “remained in the chancel under the guard of a sentinel, because there were fears that it would be stolen,” explained Ribeiro da Silva.

Previous exhibitions

In August 2022, the heart of D. Pedro IV was exhibited in the Church of Lapa before being transferred to Brazil, as part of the bicentennial celebrations of the country's independence.

The transfer of the heart was, at the time, voted on by the municipal executive and, due to its fragility, a technical assessment was requested from the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, which concluded that it was possible to carry it out, subject to “the requirement of transport in a pressurised environment.”

The Porto City Council announced its intention to once again exhibit the heart of King Pedro IV and explained that, during the preparation of the spaces intended to host the exhibition, "it was found necessary to carry out repairs on the ceiling of the Portrait Gallery of the Irmandade da Lapa," and it was decided to vote on allocating support for this purpose.

"To ensure conditions for public enjoyment, as well as the dignity of the initiative, the work includes the repair and waterproofing of that area and the resulting restoration of the ceiling, at a total cost estimated at €2,550," the municipality added.

The Irmandade da Lapa describes the initiative as "a story of courage, loyalty, war and freedom, a story between a king and a city and a story that remains alive in the heart of Lapa."

The exhibition will be held at the Casa da Irmandade - Galeria dos Retratos, in the Church of Lapa, and the detailed program is not yet known.