The Portuguese Center of Photography (CPF), established in 1997 by the Portuguese Ministry of Culture, is today one of the main national institutions dedicated to photographic heritage. It is housed in the historic building of the former Cadeia e Tribunal da Relação, built between 1767 and 1796, located in Largo Amor de Perdição, in the heart of Porto's historic center, next to the Torre dos Clérigos.

The building preserves impressive environments: from the cells, to the infirmaries, through the ancient Memory Room, the only room with surviving original walls, now reinterpreted as an exhibition space dedicated to the memory of famous prisoners (including Camilo Castelo Branco and Ana Plácido).

The museum offers a permanent museological core known as António Pedro Vicente, with approximately 5,800 historical photographic devices - daguerreotypes, bellows cameras, stereoscopic cameras, miniatures, and specialized instruments from around the world. Temporary exhibitions on the first and second floors address contemporary and artistic themes, while the third floor is dedicated to the technical history of photography.