News Porto.

Municipal Library Almeida Garrett is launching the "reading and receiving" initiative during the Christmas season. The key objective of this campaign is to deliver books to those who enjoy reading and are users of the library's loan service.

"10000 anos depois entre Vénus e Marte" [10000 years later between Venus and Mars] is the title of the latest exhibition on display at Porto Municipal Gallery. The exhibit opened last weekend and it includes the work of artists from different generations and features, for the first time, a number of new acquisitions from the Collection António Cachola.

The Literary Café Cycle takes you to the "The piano in Senas' poetry", at Municipal theatre Campo Alegre, on 8 December at 6.30 pm. António Durães recites some of the poems from the book "Arte de Música" by Jorge de Sena. The musical pieces that inspired such poems will be evoked during this coffee-social gathering, namely Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Satie and Debussy, interpreted by Sofia Lourenço on the piano.

Porto "knew how to transform itself" and was able to recover its prime role status in the European context. These were the words of Sergio Mattarella, the Italian head of State who visited the city of Porto today, 7 December. The Italian President was given the keys to the city of Porto by Mayor Rui Moreira during his visit, "a distinguish honour paid to the eminent personalities that visit the city", highlighted the Mayor.

The young, prodigious, talented pianist Seong-Jin Cho makes his first appearance in Portugal on December 7, at Casa da Música, starting at 9 pm, 7 December. Chopin and Debussy are the main repertoire by Seong-Jin Cho, the young talent who won the XVII International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2015 at the early age of 21 years.

More Airlines, more routes, mores destinations. Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport shows a consistent and progressive growth over the years, receiving 10 million passengers a year without losing performance quality. By the end of 2017, the number of travellers should reach 10, 7 million and the tendency is to continue growing, building new connections to the world.

The Porto Metro blue line was inaugurated on 7 December 2002, connecting the Trindade and the Senhor de Matosinhos Stations with a track length of 12 km and 18 stations. This was a milestone in the city's transport network. Public transport started to include a light railway in the Porto Metropolitan Area, combining an underground rail network with light rail lines.

The last show of the Porto Best Of cycle, sponsored by Porto City Hall and curated by Miguel Guedes, will happen 14 December at Rivoli, featuring the story of the electronic music in the city.

The President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, begins a two-day official visit to Portugal 6 December. Sergio Mattarella, following an invitation by the Portuguese President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, will be in the two main Portuguese cities to "strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries in all its dimensions".

With the slogan "One buyout, an act of solidarity", the Xmas Ark will be held on 6 and 7 December at São Bento Station main concourse. This event is jointly organised by Porto City Hall and Portugal's Infrastructure. This activity comprises the participation of 27 city institutions.