The arch on Rua do Souto was opened in the wall that surrounded the city of Braga at the beginning of the 16th century, at the initiative of the then bishop D. Diogo de Sousa. Known as Porta Nova, it was located at the top of one of the most important arteries, Rua do Souto or the commercial street. However, the arch that we know today only acquired its current configuration in the 18th century. The perfect semicircular arch is formed by elements typical of Soares’ works carried out in the mid-century. If André Soares’ work gave Braga an important mark of late baroque and rococo, the Arco da Rua Nova must be understood as one of his most significant urban interventions. In any case, this monument is a witness not only to the significant religious patronage in the city known as the city of archbishops, but also the announcement of a new artistic era – neoclassicism -, which would come to prevail with the work of Carlos Amarante.