Lisboa
One of Europe´s most fascinating capital cities
Lisbon is for me one of the most beautiful and interesting capitals of Europe. Looking out from the Castle of St.George you have a sweeping view of the entire city. Lisbon was built upon a series of hills with deep valleys leading down to the river Tagus. Walking down from the Castle, you walk through the narrow medeavel streets of Alfama, into Rossio and the Baixa, past churches built upon the birthplace of St. Anthony of Padua. In the city centre you enter an environment inwhich the Portuguese intermingle with Angolans, Brazilians, Goans, visitors from the old colonies of Macau and Mozambique, along with large numbers of Europeans who have to watch the football or to explore Portugal. In the evening you can relax in the Bairro Alto, enjoy a meal at one of Lisbons endless variety of restaurants, soaking up the sounds of fado music or choose from the wide assortment of bars and clubs in the region.
At one point Lisbon was "Olisipo", the western capital of the Roman empire, and modern archelogical research in the city is constantly uncovering new remains of Roman buildings. For several centuries it came to be in Moorish hands, until 1147 when Dom Afonso Henriques led the decisive assault on the castle that is now St. George. Many of the Moors continued to live in Portugal and converted to Christianity. In fact, the area around the castle, Mouraria, where Fado music was born, has long been refered to as the Moorish quarter.
Since Lisbon has so many sights to take in, I have divided this section into smaller parts that focus on the seperate districts of the City.
Belem
Home to the magical mystery of Jeronimos
Belem Tower - João Paulo
Moorish artistry influenced the architect Francisco Arruda who created the tower that sits on the banks of the Tagus on the extreme west of the city, in the suburb called Belem (Belem is Portuguese for Bethlehem). Arruda greatly admired the Moorish aesthetics that he had studied in North Africa, although the style is referred to as Manueline after the reigning king of the time.
The tower is essentially an elaborate gun placement for the protection of the Lisbon harbour. At its peak the harbour could shelter 1000 boats from the fierce winds of the Atlantic ocean, whilst also providing a setting off point for fleets of ships such as the Spanish armada. From the 14th Century onwards large numbers of trading ships were arriving in the Tagus everyday and Lisbon became well known as one of the main ports during the age of the European renaissance.
Jeronimos Monastery
António Sacchetti
Close to the tower is the magnificent Jeronimos monastery, which is considered by many to be one of the most original and strikingly beautiful places of worship in the world. Construction began in 1501 and was comissioned by King Manuel I to celebrate the discovery of India. Manueline style could be described as tropical-gothic and Jeronimos is the finest manifestation of the aesthetic. Entering the monastery the visitor is struck by the incerdibly intricate carving and decoration that adorns every inch of stone. The complex spider web of beams that form the ceiling is held aloft by huge pillars with carved vines entwined around them. The vast stained glass windows have a richness and vividness of colour that may be unique. The marble tombs of the Cardinal King and Dom Sebastiao are carried upon the backs of carved stone elephants. Huge paintings of St. Jeronimos depict him with his traditional symbols - the lion at his feet and the skull upon his table.
The stone cloisters surrounding the monks cells depict countless gargoyles bursting out of the walls like a hallucinegenic depiction of the supernatural. In the eighteenth century extra work was done on the monastery and one finds that the symbols of continental Freemasonry have been added into the mix. For lovers of the esoteric Jeronimos feels like the setting for some fantastical occult thriller.
The monastery seems to capture the exhileration and wonder that must have struck the first European artists to enter the tropics. Here the extravagence of tropical life is entwined with a Catholic sense of awe.
Baixa
Lisbon´s original center of commerce
Rua Augusta - José Manuel
Lisbon has been rocked by powerful earthquakes several times, the first in 1505, the second in 1512 and the most recent and most destructive in 1755. The earthquake that hit Lisbon on the 1st November 1755 was made all the worse because it came on All Saints Day, when hundreds of votive candles were lit and the churches packed. Approximately 30,000 people died in the fires and inside the collapsing buildings that were shaken to the ground.
Following the earthquake the city centre had to be rebuilt entirely. This provided the Marquis de Pombal with the opportunity to completely redesign this part of the city. The Marquis de Pombal is regarded as having being Portugal's greatest statesman. He was responsible for many of the modernising reforms of Portugal's history and oversaw the most radical urban renewal project of the eighteenth century in the rebuilding of the city centre.
Dom Jose I
José Manuel
The Baixa district, between Rossio and the river, is known as Lisboa pombalina. The plans were created by the architect Eugenio dos Santos and the houses built in a simple, neo-classical style on wide streets. The pavements of the Baixa are mosiacs of black and white stones laid out in elaborate patterns. The names of the streets describe the history of the trade and commerce that was performed here - Rua do Ouro (Road of Gold), Rua da Prata (Road of Silver), Rua dos Sapeteiros (Road of Shoemakers) etc.
Eugenio dos Santos designed the grand square that is Praca do Comercio. This square contains the huge bronze statue of Dom Jose I, designed by Machado de Castro, Portugals greatest sculptor of the eighteenth century. The statue depicts the King dressed in armour and plumed helmet, his horse trampling upon vexed, writhing serpents.
Nearby is the little church, Santo Antonio da Se, built upon the birthplace of St Anthony of Padua. Across the road stands the Cathedral where St. Anthony was christened in 1195, and contains a crib also designed by Machado de Castro.
Alfama
The narrow streets leading up to the Castle of St. George
St. Anthony Festival - José Manuel
The area leading up from the Baixa to the Castle of St. George is the Alfama, the oldest area of the city. Walking through the narrow streets the visitor can feel that they are stepping back into a distant age. On the feast days of St Anthony, St John and St Peter during the month of June large all night festivities still take place. In the market square dances are held, and stalls set up where one can buy charcoal grilled sardines and wine. On Tuesdays and Saturday mornings the Campo de Santa Clara is home to a market where everything from jewellery and clothes to food and ornaments can be bought at very cheap prices.
The Castle of St. George rises above the Alfama, offering dramatic views of Lisbon and a small mediaevel square where one can relax, catch up with some reading, write ones postcards or simply admire the scenery. Close by are the churches of Santa Engracia and St. Vincente de Fora.
Rossio and the Avenida da Liberdade
The perfect place to pause for refreshments
Praça de Restauradores
José Manuel
Rossio square is also tucked beneath the Castle of St. George and contains the wide selection of shops catering for Portugal's distinct immigrant and urban populations. The marketplace contains Afro-hair salons, music stores selling CD's of Brazilian and Cape Verde popular hits, Chinese grocery stores, Spiritualist shops packed with votive statues of the spirits of the Afro-Brazilian religions, Indian dressmaking shops, Lebanese jewellers and so on.
Between Rossio and the Avenida da Liberdade lies the Restauradores, a stretch of high quality restaurants. Although some of the restaurants along here can be slightly expensive, a short walk off the main street will usually lead you to a cheaper place with often better quality.
The Avenida da Liberdade is a wide square with several large cinema's, a range of designer goods stores and open air cafe's set in wide gardens. The Avenida stretches for about a mile leading to the Praca Marques de Pombal.
Bairro Alto
The starting point for a pleasurable night out
Ruins of Carmelite Convent
António Sacchetti
From the Avenida da Liberdade a tram can be taken up the steep hill leading up to Bairro Alto. The tram drops you off at S. Pedro de Alcantara viewing point from which you can look over the city centre. Lisbons Bairro Alto is one of the best area's to go for eating out, socialising and clubbing. There are many very good, cheap restaurants in this area and every Friday and Saturday night the streets are packed with young people moving from bar to bar or just socialising in the street. The atmosphere is generally very friendly and informal.
The ruins of the Carmelite Convent (now an Archeological Museum) can be found in the Lago de Carmo. Originally built in the 14th Century, the convent was all but destroyed in the earthquake of 1755.
A short walk towards Rato leads to the Botanical Gardens. Huge palm trees, exotic flowers, and an abundance of beautiful plants make the gardens a pleasurable stroll or picnic spot. Inside the main building is a permanent exhibition dedicated to natural history.
Other Locations
The Park of Nations etc
Park of the Nations
José Manuel
The park of nations was created in Portugal for the Expo 98 and is now used for concerts, New Years celebrations and other such events. The main daytime attraction is an exceptionally fine aquarium, the largest in Europe. A huge central tank contains a breathtaking array of exotic sea life, including a variety of sharks, is surrounded by smaller tanks dedicated to the aquatic life of specific regions of the world.
It takes a good couple of hours to take it all in and is an ideal place for a family day out that will fascinate both children and adults. Children up to 3 years old get in for free, tickets for older children and adults range between €5 and €10 per person.
Further details can be found at their website - www.oceanario.pt
Hotels in Lisbon
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