Newspaper Vendor Statue, Porto

The mass epidemic of monumental homage to plumbers, janitors, and other professions, that has hit Europe in recent decades, has affected Porto all the same. Found just around the corner from the railway station, this cute little statue is very easy to miss, especially if you don't know where to look. Still, it is well worth looking at or even snapping a photo of, given that this is one of the most photographed statues in Porto, much loved by tourists.

Called the Estátua do Ardina (Newspaper Vendor Statue), this life-size, bronze sculpture pays tribute to an “ardina”, the street seller of newspapers. Created by Manuel Dias in 1990, the statue depicts the ardina at work, with a newspaper in hand, bag over his shoulder, leaning against a traditional post box – reminder of the times when the news was spread this way, and this way only.

Now that the Internet is slowly killing off paper press, this bronze newspaper vendor in Liberdade Square may be the last representative of his trade still around. So, hurry up!