LISBOA

Capital of Portugal

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is the second oldest capital in Europe.

History of the city Lisbon is a city where there’s lot of commerce. One of the

worst moments Lisbon went through was the earthquake in 1755. It almost destroyed the entire city and caused a huge numbers of deaths. But, fortunately, Marquês de Pombal implemented measures that made Lisbon arise from destruction.

The most important places in Lisbon There are several important places in Lisbon

and they all have an important historical meaning.

Torre de Belém(Belém Tower) The construction of the “Torre de Belém” started in 1514 and ended in 1520. It was a place to defend and also to attack enemies.

The “Torre de Belém” was a kind of fortress.

We can see it by the river Tejo.

Arco da Rua Augusta(Augusta Arch Street) The “Arco da Rua Augusta" was built and rebuilt twice. The second on this picture.Its construction started in 1873 and ended in 1875.

At the top of the arch, we can see Célestin Anatole Calmels.

The sculptures represent Calmels Glory crowning Genius and Value. The sculptures represent Nuno Alvares Pereira, Viriato, Vasco da Gama and the Marquês de Pombal.

Padrão dos descobrimentos This is a Monument to the Discoveries, popularly known as ‘Padrão dos Descobrimentos’.

We can see it on the right bank of the Tejo river. The monument was erected to honor those involved in the process of the Portuguese Discoveries.The current monument was erected in concrete with stone sculptures of limestone, rising to 50 feet tall. It was inaugurated in 1960 in the context of the celebrations of the fifth hundred anniversary of the death of D. Henrique, the Navigator.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

King D.Manuel decided to order the building of the 'Mosteiro do Jerónimos’ (Jerónimos Monastery).

The construction started in 1501/02.

There we can find the tombs of the kings D.Manuel and his wife, D.Maria, D.João III and his wife D.Catarina, D.Sebastião and D.Henrique and even those of Vasco da Gama, Luís Vaz de Camões, and Alexandre Herculano as well as Fernando Pessoa.

Sé de Lisboa Its construction began on the second half of the nineteenth century, after the capture of the city from the Moors by D. Afonso Henriques and ended in the eighteenth century.

It is now a mixture of architectural styles.

Aqueduto das águas livres The Aqueduct was built during the reign of D. João V It has its origin in the nascent Free Waters in Belas, Sintra. It has been progressively strengthened and expanded throughout the nineteenth century. It survived the 1755 earthquake.

The lack of potable water in Lisbon was a big problem, so the only way to solve it was to create a pipeline linking the unique source of potable water to the city.

The Aqueduct is 58,135 meters long. It is the largest stone arch built in the world. The aqueduct supplied 34 fountains.

Praça do comércio (Commerce Square) The Commerce Square, also known as Palace Square, is a square in downtown Lisbon situated by the river Tejo. This was the palace of the kings of Portugal for nearly two centuries. It is one of the largest squares in Europe, with 36 000 m² (180m x 200m). It is the centre of Lisbon, as well as its main square. In the centre of the square, one sees the equestrian statue of Joseph, erected in 1775 by Joaquim Machado de Castro, Portuguese sculptor of the eighteenth century. Over the years, the bronze statue won a green patina. On the north side of the square is the Triumphal Arch of Augusta Street, the entrance to downtown.

Castelo de S. Jorge (St. George castle) The current name comes from the devotion of São Jorge Castle, patron saint of knights and the crusades. It was built by order of King D.João I in the fourteenth century.

Its medieval look is due to a restoration in 1940.

Lisbon is a beautiful city. It’s very rich in historical monuments and culture.

‘Fado’ was born here.http://goo.gl/AH4cKz

Lisbon is one of the most beautiful and complete towns in the world.

This city has spectacular landscapes and you can take beautiful photos.

This is our capital. You are invited to visit it!

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.