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Lisbon Description
This fascinating and very endearing city was made by the official capital of the
Kingdom of Portugal in 1256 although it had been in the Christian hands since
1147 when Afonso Henriques liberated the town from the Moors. Even today the
foundations of Roman buildings are being discovered pointing to its early
importance when it was given the name of "Felicitas Julia Olissipo". From
physical evidence it is certain that the location has been inhabited from the
Bronze Age, Tartessus, Celts, Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths and Moors.
Like most other capitals in Europe, Lisbon has its own individual character
influenced and moulded by its own history and its inhabitants. (For the purpose
of this brief description historical factors have mainly been left to the many
good available guidebooks). Lisbon has in its existence recorded several serious
earthquakes, one in 1505 and a second in 1512. However, due to the very
destructive earthquake in 1755 the centre of this city was virtually completely
destroyed. The King gave the then powerful Marqu�s do Pombal the opportunity to
create his radical and impressive layout of streets. The idea of wide avenues
and streets was a complete change to the narrow and haphazard ones that abounded
in all major cities of that time. Although this conception today may seem normal
and is found in most of the capitals of Europe, the concept was very impressive
for that time. The number of inhabitants of Lisbon is over 664.000.
Baixa
This section of Lisbon was the pride of Pombal and the very heart of his own
great city. The streets are named appropriately as the homes of banking and
trade, with names such as Rua do Ouro (gold), Rua da Prata (silver), Rua dos
Sapateiros (shoemakers), and Pra�a do Com�rcio (trading), each one appropriately
indicating its purposes. Today, many institutions by necessity have since moved
and expanded to other sections of the city but this area still maintains a past
dignity and hum of trading. Certain activities have stayed in their historic
buildings, such as the fish market at Cais de Sodr� that still portrays its
strong character with the traditional bustle of the disappearing "varinas" busy
in the streets with baskets of fresh fish skilfully balanced on their heads.
From an architectural point of view places to view are the squares of Pra�a do
Com�rcio and the Rossio. Also of interest is the church of Concei��o Velha, the
S� (Cathedral), and the 16th Century Casa dos Bicos.
Alfama
This is the oldest surviving area of the city and lies under the walls of the
Castle of S�o Jorge stretching down to the Baixa. A muddle of very narrow
streets and small squares help to create for the visitor a glimpse of a
forgotten age, especially taking in the old Moorish quarter known as Mouraria.
Today, it is still a residential area and at night time an area with taverns for
typical food and the special Portuguese music of "Fado". There are several
places of interest among which is the Funda��o do Esp�rito Santo (Museum of
Workshop of Decorative Art). The medieval quarter of Santa Cruz, and certain old
very narrow streets, Rua de S�o Miguel, Rua de S�o Pedro and Largo do Chafariz
de Dentro. Every morning on Tuesdays and Saturdays on the outskirts of Alfama,
at the Campo de Santa Clara, there is a fascinating "flea market" known as the
"Feira da Ladra" and very worthy of a visit. Within close distance of this twice
weekly event there are the churches of Santa Engracia and S�o Vicente de Fora.
Bairro Alto
This area which is located on the opposite hill from the Alfama and is linked
with to the Baixa by a fashionable shopping street named Chiado. A visitor will
find here some of Lisbon�s select society shops selling internationally famous
brand names alongside national products. The Chiado has its own special local
cafes that act as popular meeting places for writers and artists. A interesting
way to reach the Bairro Alto from the Baixa is to use the "Elevador de Santa
Justa" designed and built by the French architect "Eiffel". Another way is to
use one of the two "funicular-like" trams - each an interesting experience! The
Bairro Alto was originally developed in the 16th Century as a residential
quarter for traders. Now it has become a centre for nightlife with its many
fashionable restaurants, bars and clubs. An impressive ruin caused by the
earthquake of 1755 is the 14th Century Igreja de Carmo, and the chapel that
withstood the destruction has been turned into an Archaeological Museum. The
unimpressive fa�ade of the 16th Century church of S�o Roque hides within an
impressive 18th Century chapel that was commissioned by King Jo�o V from Italian
architects and pre-constructed in Rome prior to being shipped to Portugal.
Other Locations
Scattered through the city are many interesting places and buildings. Amongst
these are the Igreja da Estrela and its generous gardens, the English Cemetery
that contains some historic names, Parque Eduardo VII, the Estufas (huge and
wonderful greenhouses), and the Jardim Zool�gico. An area that must not be
missed is Bel�m. Located to the west side of the city this area runs along the
River Tejo. Here can be found the baroque elegance of the Mosteiro dos Jer�nimos
that was commenced in 1501 by the order of King Manuel I to celebrate the naval
discovery of India. As a contrasting statement to the historical monuments is
the modern architecture of the Centro Cultural de Bel�m that stands firmly
between this historic Monastery and the striking baroque style 16th Century
Torre de Bel�m built from 1515. On the river close to this point is also the
famous work named Padr�o dos Descobrimentos and erected in 1960 to celebrate the
500th anniversary of the birth of Portugal�s famous "Prince Henry the
Navigator". To the west of the centre of the city is the prominent sight of the
Aqueduct das �guas Livres that was constructed in the first half of the 18th
Century. It has 35 arches and is 941 meters long and to this day its purpose is
still to bring water to the inhabitants of Lisboa.
Lisbon Map (Click Here)
Lisbon Weather
     
Lisbon Information
 800 296 296 - Support to Tourists
112 - SOS
210 227 700 - Town Hall
213 466 141 - Police
213 422 222 - Fire Brigade
218 413 500 - Airport
218 884 025 - Train Information
217 932 756 - Taxis
213 433 672 - Tourist Information
Lisbon Theatres
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Coliseu dos Recreios
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www.coliseulisboa.com |
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Centro Cultural de Bel�m |
www.ccb.pt |
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Culturgest |
www.cdg.pt |
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Fund. Calouste Gulbenkian |
www.gulbenkian.pt |
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Teatro Aberto |
www.teatroaberto.com |
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Teatro Cornuc�pia |
www.teatro-cornucopia.pt |
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Teatro da Comuna |
217 221 770 |
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Teatro Maria Matos |
www.teatromariamatos.pt |
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Teatro Municipal S�o Luiz |
213 461 260 |
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Teatro Nacional D. Maria II |
www.teatro-dmaria.pt |
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Teatro Nacional S. Carlos |
www.saocarlos.pt |
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Teatro da Trindade
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www.teatrotrindade.inatel.pt |
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Teatro Villaret
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213 538 586 |
Lisbon Events
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Concerto da Primavera |
March onwards |
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Prociss�o dos Terceiros Franciscanos |
4th Sunday after Easter |
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Dia da Liberdade |
25th April |
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Festival Internacional do Teatro |
April to May |
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�poca Taurom�quica (Bullfighting) |
April to September |
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Dia do Trabalhador |
1st May |
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Feira do Livro (Book Market) |
May to June |
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Dia de Cam�es |
10th June |
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Festa de Santo Ant�nio |
12 and 13 June |
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City Holiday |
13th June |
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Festas de S�o Jo�o |
23rd & 24th of June |
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Festas de S�o Pedro |
25th to 1st July |
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Implanta��o da Rep�blica |
5th October |
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Dia de Todos os Santos |
1st November |
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Dia da Assun��o |
15th August | |
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Portugal Golf
