The Arco da Porta Nova is an elegant eighteenth-century triumphal arch that marks the western entrance to Braga's pedestrian old town. Designed by André Soares in a rococo-inflected baroque style and completed around 1772, it replaced an older medieval gate and functioned as a ceremonial entrance to the city. The arch frames the long straight line of the Rua do Souto, one of Braga's main shopping streets.
The design is more restrained than much of the baroque work in the city — clean, proportioned, and well-suited to its role as a gateway. It is a natural starting point for a walk into the old centre.