The history of this institution dates back to the “Aula de Desenho e Debuxo”, a school of drawing created in 1780 to support the industrial companies of the city. In 1802, upon the opening session of the classes (120 students were enrolled by then) the painter Vieira Portuense called this school of drawing Academy as a means to provide the institution with further renown. He also aimed to call for a more thorough education, based upon strong and diverse theoretical knowledge, as well as upon high quality artistic examples. However, the desired reform providing the school with more teaching staff and course units only took place in 1836, when the Academia Portuense de Belas Artes (Porto Academy of Fine Arts) was created. By then the Academy taught classes in Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, besides a preparatory course in Drawing. Still during the 19th century the Academy gives rise to the Escola Portuense de Belas Artes, which then becomes Escola Superior de Belas Artes (Higher School of Fine Arts) after 1950. The school then goes through several years of educational and artistic renown. Workshops of ceramics, glass, tapestry, engraving, stone, etc. In the 70s the course of Communication Design is created. In 1979 the course of architecture gains full autonomy and is then part of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto. In 1994 the Escola Superior de Belas Artes do Porto was integrated in the University of Porto and was then to be called Faculty of Fine Arts.
