Lisbon

38.72225, -9.13934

Lisbon Travel Guide

City Map

City Introduction

Lisbon has just over two million inhabitants and it is a city and a population that charms and fascinates visitors all year round. Portugal’s great place in world history really comes to the fore in the city with countless beautiful buildings, constructed in earlier centuries with historic prosperity.

It was in Lisbon, many new voyages of discovery began, and they brought much wealth to the motherland. Persons such as Vasco da Gama and Henry the Navigator made history, and their names can be found several places in the city and country, as does the Marquis of Pombal, who was responsible for the large-scale reconstruction of the city after a colossal earthquake in 1755; the result can be seen today as the district of Baixa.

Lisbon has a special atmosphere that is both modern and historical. The winding streets, old houses and many hills form a natural beauty and cozy at the banks of the wide Tejo River, which opens into the Atlantic Ocean not far from the Portuguese capital. The city is easy to visit walking between the sights, and you should also board one of the many trams that drive through Lisbon’s many quaint neighborhoods.

Top Attractions

Jeronimos Monastery, Lisbon

Jerónimos Monastery
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Jerónimos Monastery is one of the biggest sights in both Lisbon and the whole of Portugal. The site is a vestige of a monastery that was built in the 16th century during the height of Portuguese colonial trade. The enormous income from the traffic initiated by Vasco da Gama on colonies formed the foundation for building the monastery, and the special Portuguese Manueline style is perfected here in every detail.

The Manueline style got its name from King Manuel I, who reigned 1491-1521. The style is a Portuguese variant of Late Gothic with Renaissance elements. It was precisely Manuel I who initiated the construction, which happened shortly after Vasco da Gama’s return from the first sea voyage to India.

The construction of the great monastery started in 1501, and the construction was completed in 1601. The financing was initially provided by Manuel I through a tax of 5% on trade with Africa and the Orient. This corresponded to the value of around 70 kilos of gold per year.

Manuel I gave the monastery to monks of the order of Hieronymites, whose task was to pray for the king’s eternal soul and to assist sailors from the nearby port of Restelo on their way to distant shores. Today, the monastery is named after Saint Jerome and the order of monks who were active in the monastery until 1833, when religious orders were abolished in Portugal.

When you stand in front of the long facade of the monastery, you can experience its beautiful architecture. The entrance used is the so-called southern gate, which was designed by Juan de Castilho. The gate is 32 meters high and 12 meters wide, and it has a detailed decoration around the central statue of Henrik the Sailor, which can be seen above the entrance doors.

The south gate is on the side of the large monastery church, Santa Maria de Belém. The church also has a western entrance, which was prepared by Nicolau Chanterene in 1517. When you enter the church, the magnificent church space reveals itself. Several architects worked on the church; the majority of the stylistic impression comes from the work of the Spaniard Juan de Castilho.

In the church you can see several graves of celebrities. This is where you can see the coffins of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões, and King Manuel I and Queen Maria of Aragon are also buried in the church. The same applies to, among others, King João III and his Queen Catarina of Austria.

From the church you can go further into the monastery buildings, which are located around the 55×55 meter monastery yard. Here, the Manueline style’s richness of detail in the light limestone is striking, and you immediately feel far away from the traffic of the surrounding metropolis.

In the west wing of Jerónimos Monastery there are two museums. One of them is the Maritime Museum/Museu de Marinha, which is one of Europe’s most impressive of its kind. Here you can experience thousands of effects such as large ship models, and here the country’s proud maritime history is depicted.

 

Monument of the Discoveries, Lisbon

Monument of the Discoveries
Padrão dos Descobrimentos

Halfway out in the river Tejo stands this great monument to the Portuguese sailors and explorers, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. The monument was built in 1960, which was to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Henrik Søfareren.

The monument shows a ship on its way out onto the lake with Henrik the Sailor in the bow. Portugal’s voyages of discovery started with Henry the Navigator, who among other things discovered the Açores in 1427 and Cape Verde in the 1450s. Of later explorers, Vasco da Gama can of course be mentioned, and behind Henry the Navigator on the monument you can also see cartographers, missionaries and others who took part in the voyages.

Inside the monument you can see changing exhibitions and you can also take an elevator to the top, from where there is a wonderful view of Belém and the Tagus in both directions. You can also clearly see the great bridge, Ponte 25 de Abril, and the figure of Christ on the south side of the Tagus.

Remember also to look down at the square in front of the monument, where in the pavement there is a huge compass and world map with Portugal’s earlier voyages of discovery and possessions done in mosaic.

 

Belem Tower, Lisbon

Belém Tower
Torre de Belém

The Torre de Belém on the banks of the River Tejo is one of Lisbon’s most famous landmarks. The beautiful tower was built in the fine Manueline architectural style and was completed in 1521. At the time of its construction, the tower stood on an island in the middle of the Tagus, but later fillings have moved the river bank all the way to the island from the former coastline, which was close to the edge of Jerónimos Monastery.

The tower was built as a lighthouse on the small spit of the river, but at the same time it was strongly fortified, and thus it constituted a defense of the entrance to Lisbon. For more than 200 years, the tower was also set up as a prison, and with the river on both sides it was well protected during that period and thus prevented an easy prisoner escape.

As a visitor, you can enter the tower, which in addition to casemates contains several floors with different halls. In the casemates you can see, among other things, the old cannon positions.

 

Praca do Comercio, Lisbon

Commerce Square
Praça do Comércio

Praça do Comércio is a large, harmonious and beautifully situated square right down to the river Tejo in the heart of Lisbon. The square is large and symmetrically laid out with neoclassical buildings with a central gate as an entrance towards the Baixa district in the middle.

Historically, the place has been a political center, as the former royal palace, Paço da Ribeira, was once located on this square. The castle was commissioned in 1502 and, like so many other buildings in the Portuguese capital, was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755.

The current Praça do Comercio was laid out under the Marquis de Pombal in the decades after the earthquake. The square was named after the trade that was to characterize the newly built city and Praça do Comercio, which was surrounded by public offices for e.g. customs and port authorities. As the focal point of the square, an equestrian statue of King José I was inaugurated in 1775, and it still stands here.

Praça do Comercio became historic on 1 February 1908. It was the place where Portugal’s king and crown prince were shot. Carlos I was on his way from the castle in Vila Viçosa to the residence in Lisbon when several people shot at the king and crown prince Luís Filipe. The king died on the spot, while the crown prince had been mortally wounded. Two years later the monarchy was abolished and Portugal became a republic.

 

Church of Santa Engrácia
Igreja da Santa Engrácia

The impressive Church of Sankt Engratia was started as early as 1682, but after a break of centuries it was only completed in 1966. The location is beautiful, and the bright church is high above Lisbon’s central skyline.

The church was built as an ordinary church to replace other churches dedicated to Saint Engratia, martyr of the city of Braga. The predecessors had collapsed, and therefore the current construction was started. The design was carried out by João Antunes, who was a court architect and one of the country’s most important Baroque architects.

The architect died in 1712, and King João V concentrated on the construction of Mafra Palads/Palácio de Mafra outside Lisbon, thereby stopping church construction. Work started again, and in the 1900s the church was completed; it was also here that the great dome was built.

The interior of the church is beautiful and elegant. Baroque decorations in marble dominate the floors and walls, and the church’s fine 18th-century organ was brought here from the city’s cathedral. You can also see several interesting funerary monuments in the church, which in 1916 was transformed into the national pantheon, the Panteão Nacional. Presidents, writers and other artists are among those buried here; so does the famous soccer player Eusébio. You can also see cenotaphs for, among others, Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama.

 

Tram 28, Lisbon

Tram 28
Eléctrico linha 28

On November 17, 1873, the first tram was pulled by horses through the streets of Lisbon, and in 1901, the first electric carriage ran in the city. The network of trams reached its peak in the late 1950s, when more than 20 lines were available to locals and tourists. Since then, buses and the city’s metro have taken over large parts of the former tram traffic, which is still probably Lisbon’s best-known and most popular means of transport.

Tram 28 is a famous tourist magnet in Lisbon. From the central stop on Rua da Conceição street, take the tram to the east, and even if the end station after a long journey is a short walk from the starting point, the journey itself is a real experience.

The tram on precisely line 28 runs along narrow streets through the district of Alfama, where it seems in several places that it is impossible for the tram to get around the houses. Cozy squares, beautiful buildings and a Portuguese atmosphere spread in this area, and you can experience it all up close on a tram ride.

 

National Coach Museum
Museu Nacional dos Coches

In the district of Belém is the unique carriage museum, which for many years was housed in Belém Palace’s riding school from the late 1780s. The collection of the carriages started throughout Portugal in the early 1900s, and over time so many fine vehicles have been gathered together that the museum belongs to the world’s finest of its kind.

The National Carriage Museum is a piece of equipment in the development of royal carriages from the 17th century and through the following centuries, and during the visit you almost also experience the atmosphere from bygone times.

Until 2015, the museum was only housed in Belém Palace’s riding school. Since then, the fine exhibition has expanded to also be seen in a modern new building, which was designed by the Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha.

The Old Royal Riding School/Antigo Picadeiro Real still contains part of the museum’s collection, and the building is worth seeing in itself. It was built from 1786 in the neoclassical design of the architect Giacomo Azzolini, and the interior with tiles and paintings was created by several Portuguese artists. The large riding hall measures 50×17 metres, and here the carriages are currently on display. In the old days there were horse shows and shows here; the royal family could watch it from the balcony.

Other Attractions

Santa Justa Lift, Lisbon

Santa Justa Elevator
Elevador de Santa Justa

The Elevador de Santa Justa is a means of transport that, since 1902, has carried people from the central Baixa to the ridge immediately next to the city centre. At the same time, the elevator is an interesting engineering construction that is worth trying.

It was Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, who was also a student of Gustave Eiffel, who built the Santa Justa elevator in the years 1900-1902. The construction is 45 meters high, and it is sandwiched between the buildings of the Baixa district. The elevator was originally steam powered, but in 1907 it was converted to electric operation.

Elevador de Santa Justa provides access to higher urban areas, but also use the ride to enjoy the technically fascinating structure. At the top, you are rewarded with a wonderful view of the entire center of Lisbon, where you can admire the many beautiful buildings that lie at your feet.

 

Liberty Avenue
Avenida da Liberdade

Avenida da Liberdade is an elegant and beautifully landscaped boulevard that is 90 meters wide. The boulevard has a length of 1.1 kilometers and it connects the Praça dos Restauradores and Praça do Marques de Pombal squares.

It was the architect Reinaldo Manuel who, under the umbrella of Pombal’s urban plan, designed a park where the current boulevard is located. The 18th century was fenced, which was changed in the following century. In the 1830s and 1840s, the park was changed with the installation of fountains, statues and more. You can still see allegorical statues from this time, symbolizing the Tagus and Douro rivers.

Between 1879 and 1886, the current Avenida da Liberdade was laid out according to the Parisian model. The grandiose boulevard immediately became a favorite place for Lisbon’s wealthy, who often also settled here. Since then, there have been many fashionable shops and cozy sidewalk restaurants along the Avenida, as the boulevard is popularly called. On a stroll here you can also see a larger monument to those who fell in the First World War. It was erected in 1931.

 

Christ the King, Lisbon

Christ the King
Cristo Rei

At the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge on the south side of the Tejo River stands the 103 meter tall Christ the King monument, which was built after inspiration from the Christ statue on top of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The monument is a tribute to Jesus Christ and decided to be erected in 1940 as a prayer to keep Portugal out of World War II. Construction started in 1950, and it was inaugurated in 1959. The foundation, which is 75 meters high, forms a gate on which the 28-meter-high Christ statue stands. You can take an elevator to the top of the foundation, from where there is a fine view of Lisbon.

 

Alfama, Lisbon

Alfama

The Alfama district is the oldest district in Lisbon, and thus the area stands in contrast to newer and more grandiose modern districts. Alfama spreads on the hill between Sankt Jørgen Borg/Castelo de São Jorge and the river Tejo. Under the Moors, Alfama constituted the city itself, which only later spread to include Baixa.

Alfama largely survived the earthquake of 1755, so it appears with its original town plan with the organically formed streets and squares that are like a labyrinth. In recent years, Alfama has been renovated from the traditional poor quarter, which it still partly remains. It is now a neighborhood that you should explore and perhaps enjoy the fado, the characteristic melancholic Portuguese music.

 

National Tile Museum
Museu Nacional do Azulejo

In many places in Lisbon and Portugal you can see fine decorations with the so-called azulejos, which are multicolored glazed earthenware tiles. This type of tile was produced by the Moors in Spain from the 14th century, and in Portugal its use has been widespread since the 18th century. Azulejos have since then been an element of the country’s architectural decoration, where the tiles have formed geometric patterns or actual illustrations.

At the museum here, you can learn about the production, history and use of azulejos, and you can see examples dating back to the 15th century. There are of course many azulejos in the exhibition, which also shows various earthenware, porcelain and ceramics from the 1800s to the present day.

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo was founded in 1965, and it is housed in the former Madre Deus Monastery/Convento da Madre de Deus, which was established in 1509 at the initiative of Queen Leonor. Both the monastery and the monastery church are in themselves beautifully decorated with azulejos, and they are therefore a good setting for the fine national museum. You can also experience the period Mannerist style here.

 

Lisbon Cathedral

Lisbon Cathedral
Sé de Lisboa

This is Lisbon’s cathedral, with a short name colloquially simply referred to as Sé; the official name is Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa. The church in its original version was built from 1147, and it was the city’s first church after the Christian recapture of Lisbon in the same year.

The cathedral of Lisbon was built on the same site as the main Muslim Moorish mosque, and the first bishop was Gilbert of Hastings, who was an English crusader. The 12th-century church was built in late Romanesque style, while extensions in the 13th-15th centuries were built in the Gothic architecture of the time.

The exterior of the church, with its two sturdy towers, looks almost like a castle, and it is one of the details that goes back to the time after the Christian reconquest of Lisbon and Portugal. The church was built as a Christian building, but also as a possible place to defend oneself in case of new attacks from the Muslim Moors.

King Afonso IV made the church a royal pantheon, and later King João I formally made Sé a cathedral; it happened in 1393. The church has to a certain extent survived the earthquakes in the city, but in 1755 the bell tower collapsed and other parts were also destroyed; this applied, among other things, to Afonso IV’s pantheon.

After the earthquake of 1755, Sé has been restored and partially returned to its original style. The church got its current appearance at the beginning of the 20th century. In one of the towers there is access to the treasures from the church’s long history. Here you can see, among other things, church relics and silverware.

Today you can see details from eras in Sé. The facade to the west with the rose window originates from the original building from the 12th century, while the Gothic style can be seen, among other things, in the adjacent monastery buildings. From the 17th century, chapels were built in baroque and later neoclassicism; since then, much of the neoclassicism has been removed to give Sé a more medieval feel.

The interior is period-typical and worth seeing. In the church room you can see, for example, the baptismal font, which dates from the cathedral’s early days. In one of the towers there is access to the treasures from the church’s long history. Among other things, you can see church relics, silverware, etc. there.

 

Rossio, Lisbon

Rossio

Rossio is the everyday name for the central square, which is formally called Praça de D. Pedro IV. The square is named after King Pedro IV, who is enthroned as a statue on top of the column in the middle of the square.

Rossio has been one of Lisbon’s central squares since the Middle Ages, when it emerged during the 13th and 13th centuries, when the city spread from the higher ground around Castelo de São Jorge to the low-lying area between the city’s ridges. Over time, the square has been used for both bullfights, beheadings and other popular or public activities.

The buildings around Rossio were largely destroyed during the 1755 earthquake, and the neighborhood was rebuilt later in the same century. Today, Rossio is beautifully paved, and there are fountains and a number of houses with typical facades from the Marquis of Pombal’s time as town planner.

 

Park of the Nations
Parque das Nações

Parque das Nações is a newer district in Lisbon, which lies beautifully along several kilometers of the banks of the river Tagus. The district is located in the area that formed the center of the world exhibition EXPO’98, which was held in Lisbon in 1998.

Parque das Nações is an experience of modern architecture and many recreational areas. There is a variety of entertainment here, and you can also simply take a stroll along the river or among the architecture, of which the Gare do Oriente railway station is one of the foremost examples.

 

Ponte 25 Abril, Lisbon

25 April Bridge
Ponte 25 de Abril

For example, if you take a tram from the Praça do Comércio square towards Belém, the journey goes along the Tejo River. You drive through several of Lisbon’s neighborhoods, and you can see the large suspension bridge, Ponte 25 de Abril, which is getting closer and closer.

Ponte 25 de Abril is an impressive bridge that spans the Tagus. The carriageways float 70 meters above the water, and the longest span is 1,013 metres. The large bridge is a total of 2,278 meters long. The Ponte 25 de Abril was completed after four years of work in 1966, and in 1999 a train deck was built underneath the roadways.

The bridge was originally called Salazar Bro/Ponte Salazar after the head of government of Portugal at the time of its opening, but after the democratic revolution, Revolução dos Cravos, on April 25, 1974, the bridge was renamed after this event.

Day Trips

Cascais, Portugal

Cascais

The town of Cascais is beautifully located in a small bay. The place’s protected location at the mouth of the river Tagus has been inhabited for centuries, and since the royal family from the 19th century came here, the city has developed into one of Portugal’s most prosperous.

Cascais is fashionable and the whole center is a delightful experience. This applies, for example, to the many sidewalk restaurants in the pedestrian streets, the houses covered with Portuguese tiles, the several kilometers of seafront promenade and the elegant marina. There are also many shops and shopping centres, so you can easily explore here.

One of Cascais’ attractions is the Citadel/Cidadela (Avenida Dom Carlos I) from the 16th century, which is located on a hilltop facing the river. The military is still in the area, where the palace now occasionally houses the country’s president.

Close to the citadel is the Fundação Dom Luis I cultural center (Avenida Rei Humberto II de Itália). It is housed in Cascais’ former convent, which was called Convento de Nossa Senhora da Piedade. The buildings date from the 16th century, and here you can experience changing exhibitions, where the themes include modern art and ceramics.

 

Cape Roca, Portugal

Cape Roca
Cabo da Roca

Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of the European mainland, and with a close distance to Lisbon, it is a fine and favorite excursion destination. The landscape is desolate, and you feel the grandeur of nature when you go to the high cliff and look out over the Atlantic Ocean.

On the site stands the lighthouse Farol do Cabo da Roca, which was built in 1772. The light from the 22 meter high tower shines at a height of 165 meters above sea level, and can therefore be seen from a long distance.

 

Sintra

The town of Sintra has been the summer residence of the Portuguese kings for centuries. Coming to Sintra’s old town is like stepping back into history. It is very well preserved with narrow streets, topped cobblestones, fountains and many beautiful buildings that give an impression of the royal splendor of history.

An example of civil construction is Sintra’s almost castle-like town hall. In Sintra you should spend time on a stroll in the town itself and of course also see the famous castles and palaces that are located here. The most famous are Sintra National Palace/Palácio Nacional de Sintra, Castle of the Moors/Castelo dos Mouros, Seteais Palace/Palácio de Seteais and Pena National Palace/Palácio Nacional da Pena.

 

Palacio Pena, Sintra

Pena National Palace
Palácio Nacional da Pena

On one of the mountain peaks a little south of Sintra itself is the Palácio Nacional da Pena castle, which is a beautiful mix of history and the styles of the area. The architecture ranges from the pan-European to Moorish and Manueline features.

Before the castle there was a monastery here. The current castle was built in the mid-1800s and begun by Prince Fernando II. The castle was the royal summer residence until the fall of the kingdom in 1910. The castle is a true orgy for the senses with the impressive mix of styles, buildings, colours, shapes and forms.

 

Mafra Palace
Palacio Mafra

Mafra Castle is a colossal building in primarily baroque and neoclassical style. The castle was built under King João V in the 18th century, and it was built as both a residence and as a Franciscan monastery. In 1711, the king promised to build a monastery if his queen Maria Ana gave him heirs. The site was chosen in 1713 and bought in 1716. The construction itself started on 17 November 1717.

The castle is the most impressive Baroque building in Portugal. It is built symmetrically from a central axis that starts in the middle of the facade, where the large basilica of the complex is located. The monastery buildings are located in the area behind the church building and the wide facade, which is adorned with towers on the sides.

The complex contains more than 1,200 rooms and halls. The facade measures 220 meters in width, and the basilica was built in white marble with two 68 meter high towers. The length of the church is 63 metres, and there are 21 meters to the ceiling. The very beautiful Rococo library contains more than 35,000 volumes. These are just some of the large numbers and dimensions that impress the facility.

Shopping

Amoreiras

Avenida Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco
amoreiras.com

 

Armazéns do Chiado

Rua do Carmo 2
armazensdochiado.com

 

Centro Colombo

Avenida Lusiada
colombo.pt

 

El Corte Inglés

Avenida Antonio Augusto Aguiar 31
elcorteingles.pt

 

Shopping streets

Rua Augusta, Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, Praça de Londres, Avenida de Roma, Avenida da Liberdade, Rua Garrett

With Kids

Aquarium

Oceanário de Lisboa
Parque das Nações
oceanario.pt

 

Maritime Museum

Museu de Marinha
Praça do Império
museu.marinha.pt

 

Planetarium

Planetário Calouste Gulbenkian
Praça do Império, Belém
marinha.pt/pt/planetario/

 

Zoological garden

Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa
Parque Eduardo VII
zoolisboa.pt

 

Carriage museum

Museu Nacional dos Coches
Praça Afonso de Albuquerque, Belem
museudoscoches.pt

 

Science

Centro Ciência Viva
Alameda dos Oceanos, Parque das Nações
pavconhecimento.pt/home

 

Natural History and Science

Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência
Rua da Escola Politecnica 56
museus.ulisboa.pt

 

Cable car

Telecabina Lisboa
Passeio de Neptuno (south), Passeio das Tágides (north)
telecabinelisboa.pt

City History

Early history

The present Lisbon area is believed to have resided since Neanderthals, which became extinct with the spread of homo sapiens. The area has always been good for river settlements and for the protection of the Atlantic.

Throughout Neolithic times, there have been various agricultural societies before the actual city began to develop. Archaeological finds suggest that there has been permanent activity around today’s Lisbon since about 2,500 BC.

 

Origin of the city

The first habitation in what later became Lisbon is believed to have been established in the 12th century BC, with effects of Phoenician origins from the time around Lisbon Cathedral and the castle of Castelo de São Jorge found.

The presence of the Phoenicians was of commercial importance. They set up a trading post dealing with local tribes in the areas along the mouth of the Tagus River. They called the trading place of Alis Ubbo, and it was one of the Phoenician outposts seen by the Gadir administration.

Archaeologists believe that local tribes settled as urban settlements simultaneously with the Phoenician trading station, where goods such as metals and salted fish were exchanged.

 

The Roman Olisipo

After the Phoenicians, Carthage emerged as the ruling power in the Iberian Peninsula and the Tagus River. The Roman Empire was at the same time a kingdom in expansion, and after the Battle of Ilipa in 206 BC. started Rome’s conquest of Hispania, which the peninsula was named.

In 138 BC Consul Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus could incorporate the future Lisbon into the Roman Empire. Callaicus fortified the settlement, and the locals fought on the Roman side against, among other things, attacking cellars. As a thank you, the city was granted the status of the Municipium Cives Romanorum with associated rights, and the place was named Olisipo Felicitas Julia.

Olisipo Felicitas Julia gained local autonomy in the Roman province of Lusitania, whose main city was Emerita Augusta. The citizens of the city enjoyed privileges such as being Roman citizens with tax exemption. At that time, the population rose to about 30,000, and as in other Roman cities, city plans were laid out and foundations such as theaters and forums founded.

 

The Fall of Rome and the Germans

The time during Rome was a time of prosperity for the city, but the Roman Empire gradually weakened in the centuries following the birth of Christ.

There were periods of epidemics that thinned out the population, which were also marked by changing rulers after the Romans. Vandals and Alans occupied Olisipo in the early 400s before Visigoths plundered the city in 419 under King Walia.

The successor to the Roman Empire initially became the kingdom of the subees, which emerged in the Roman provinces of Lusitania and Gallaecia around the year 410. In the 440s, Olisipo became part of the empire, which survived until the latter half of the 500s, before being incorporated into the kingdom of the Visigoths. The Iberian Peninsula.

At this time, Olisipo was called Ulixbona, and for a time it remained a busy trading town for intermediaries between Greek, Syrian and Jewish merchants and local producers of goods.

 

Centuries of the Moors

From the 500s, Ulixbona’s trade and general development was destroyed by repeated attacks, looting and changing political regimes, reducing the city to a smaller village of no great importance.

There were also bad times in the Visigothic Empire, which was marked by civil wars, and this weakened the country. Under the leadership of Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Muslim Moors began their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711. Ulixbona was captured by the Moors in 714 and then renamed al-Ushbūna.

The Moors developed al-Ushbūna to once again be a trading town. The traffic of goods went from the port across the sea to the Arab countries of North Africa and the Middle East, and the city grew to be one of the largest in Europe.

In the time of the Moors, al-Ushbūna developed into a typical Middle Eastern Arab city with city walls, a medina, a mosque and a fortress. In addition, the city grew larger and the Alfama district was built next to the city center.

Al-Ushbūna was several times besieged, looted and captured. This happened, among other things, in 796 and 844, when the Scandinavian Vikings for a time occupied the city, which they had to leave again after local matches. al-Ushbūna again became the target of attacks in 851, 966 and 1093. However, the Muslim ants retained power in the city, and this was done with alternating rulings from Moorish political centers in Andalusia. However, the Moorish rule was preceded by its decline in the 12th century.

 

Christian reconquista

The Christian loss of the Iberian Peninsula was something that several times led to the so-called reconquista, which was to recapture the peninsula and thereby also al-Ushbūna during a Christian kingdom.

In the first half of the 12th century, the Kingdom of Portugal emerged from several smaller areas; the country became independent in 1139 and it was a time when there were several battles to conquer al-Ushbona as well.

After several vain attempts to invade the city, Portuguese and Spanish troops along with crusaders attacked the Holy Land al-Ushbona in 1147, and after some fighting, the Muslims in al-Ushbona’s castle surrendered on October 22 of that year.

King Alfonso I of Portugal formally gained control of Lisbon on November 1, 1147, when a former mosque was inaugurated as a Christian cathedral. On that occasion, one of the British crusaders had been designated the city’s first bishop. Three years later, Alfonso tore down the city’s Great Mosque, which had previously served as a church, to give way to a newly built cathedral in Lisbon itself.

 

Lisbon in the Middle Ages

After the Lisbon conquest in 1147, Alfonso I sought to create new trade and growth in the city, and in 1179 he established a new large trading center to reopen old trade routes and establish new ones. Alfonso’s plans succeeded and trade with Cádiz and Seville flourished again. So did the overseas trade with Mediterranean cities such as Constantinople and with northern European cities that were not traded under the Moors for religious reasons.

Portuguese merchants opened with the increased trade offices in eg Bruges, Southampton and several cities in the later Hanseatic League. At the same time, people were trading on the Mediterranean, and the city’s Jews were trading with North Africa. In total, it provided a diversity of goods in and through Lisbon, whose activity and economy contributed to major urban development. The trade also meant that more yards saw the light of day.

The economy was good, and the military threat had been minimized following the Portuguese reintroduction of the Algarve by the Moors. In 1256 Alfonso III chose to move the court and thereby also the capital of the kingdom from Coimbra to Lisbon.

Lisbon was a new capital, and it also developed into one of the most international cities in Europe. Business people from Genoa, Venice and other bustling cities settled in Lisbon, and Portugal benefited from the new residents’ knowledge of finance and cartography, among other things.

The 13th century was a time when there was tension with the Spanish of Castile. There were several clashes, and Protugian provocations were reciprocated with Castile’s conquest of Lisbon in 1373. The Portuguese paid ransom and the Spaniards withdrew again. After this episode, Portugal strengthened Lisbon’s defense with city walls.

The positive economic development of the period was periodically restored partly by earthquakes. The first known earthquake destroyed part of the city in 1290, and earthquakes were again recorded in 1318,1321 and several other times. At the same time, Portugal was starved of famine in 1333 and plague in 1348, and a large part of the population died as a result.

 

Civil War in the country

King Ferdinand I died in 1383, leaving no male successors to the throne. New ruler became King João I of the Castile, which was not supported throughout the country. Large parts of the aristocracy in northern Portugal, for example, looked favorably at a union of the Spaniards, while the Lisbon grocery store feared losing privileges and lucrative trade routes to, for example, England.

In 1383, civil war broke out in Portugal, with the conservative medieval part on one side and Lisbon’s international trade class on the other. The merchants saw Castile’s feudal principles as limiting their opportunities. With the help of England, Lisbon won the former power bastion in Northern Portugal through victories in the nobility’s siege of the capital in 1384 and in the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385.

The result of the civil war not only became a victory for the merchant stand, but it also led to a shift in power in the country. Portugal’s new aristocracy grew out of the merchants in Lisbon, who, after the Civil War, became the country’s real political center of power; a significant part of the power was formerly in the north of the traditional nobility.

The new bourgeoisie built prestigious mansions in Lisbon, where the country’s university also moved. Furthermore, political agreement helped to safeguard the interests of the merchants in foreign policy. Trade agreements were concluded with Florence, Genoa and Venice, and in 1415 Portugal conquered Ceuta on the North African coast. It strengthened the naval defense against pirates, and Cueta also provided access to gold and ivory from Africa, which were important commodities in the region.

 

The Great Discoveries

Lisbon’s considerable trade was threatened in the 14th century by the Ottoman Empire, which expanded its territory in North Africa. Some of the trade routes were stopped and the Portuguese sought alternatives, not least bypassing the Ottomans and increasingly using maritime transport.

Trade routes over the sea were established from Lisbon, and in 1469 King Alfonso V granted a trade monopoly on African routes to the merchant Fernão Gomes, who, conversely, undertook to explore ever further south on the West African coast.

Madeira and the Azores were also colonized during this period, and several commodities such as cane sugar and wine were pouring into Lisbon’s markets. There also came gold and ivory from Guinea and the Gold Coast, where Lisbon’s merchants traded heavily; they traded, among other things, with goods produced in Portugal.

However, the most lucrative and interesting market was India, and with the Turkish Ottomans’ blockade in the eastern Mediterranean, a new expedition was planned. It was Vasco da Gama’s departure from Lisbon in 1497. He sailed east and, with his arrival in Calcutta, found the sea route to India.

The great voyages of discovery continued, and soon after, Portugal possessed trading cities in India, Asia and Africa. Lisbon’s trade flourished on the basis of the exclusive right to spice trade, and large buildings such as Jerónimos Monastery in Belém were erected for the immense wealth of the city and the country.

The establishment of trading cities brought the Portuguese to China and Japan, but falling prices led to a poorer economy and thus the start of Lisbon’s fall as the dominant trading city. Other European colonial powers had also focused on increasing trade with new colonies.

 

The Golden Century

Art and science flourished side by side with the trade in Lisbon, and the 16th century became the golden age of the city. There were many scientists working in the Portuguese capital; among others Damião de Góis and Pedro Nunes.

It was a time of prosperity and everyone in the city enjoyed it. This also applied to Lisbon’s ordinary citizens, who maintained a livelihood that was not seen in many places in Europe.

Lisbon experienced an increase in population during this time. This was partly due to the fact that the Spanish king had expelled Jews from Spain in 1496 for the purpose of creating a pure Christian state. The Jews went to Lisbon in large numbers, who were aware of the positive economic impact the Jews had on the city’s development. In 1497, King Manuel I decreed that all Jews could stay if they converted to Christianity.

The new Christians continued their Jewish faith in hiding, and their status as a Christian led many former Jews to rise in the social ranks of Portuguese society. This fell to the old elite so much that it eventually ended in fighting and several killed new Christians in 1506. Manuel I was soon after forced to introduce the Inquisition in Portugal and the new Christians were limited in their opportunities in the country.

The inquisition was instrumental in destroying the positive development of the grocery trade. Power became increasingly conservative, and the new policy lowered the level of activity at the grocery store, which to some extent moved to England and the Netherlands. With the merchants, trade was increasingly transferred to other countries, and Portugal lost many connections to, for example, China and India.

The decline in trade was not the only accident that impressed in the latter half of the 16th century. In 1569, the plague raged again in Lisbon, killing an estimated 50,000 people. Just a few years later, in 1579, King Sebastian I died, and in the wake of that followed a succession battle that ended a union between Castile and Portugal with the Spanish King as Portugal’s King Felipe I.

 

Spanish kings

Spain’s conquest and occupation of Portugal was crowned with the formal accession of Felipe Is in 1581, and the Spanish time in the country lasted until 1640. Felipe I reigned until 1583, and he invested in Lisbon and Portugal, and he also considered doing so Portuguese capital to the capital of the Spanish empire.

The remaining time under Spain became a costly time for Lisbon, the city being disregarded by the development of favored Spanish cities. Portugal’s power status was also undermined by the removal of territories in the empire, such as parts of Brazil, and Lisbon was reduced to a provincial city without real power by the Catholic elite in Madrid.

In 1640, rising Portuguese rebellion succeeded in overcoming Spain, and the Duke of Braganza was inaugurated as Portugal’s new regent named João IV. With the regained independence, Lisbon could once again decide on developments. However, the following period was marked by economic decline, which among other things led many to go to the monastery, where the church took care of the necessities.

 

17th century gold and earthquake

The Portuguese economy was in need in the late 1600s, and therefore gold was found in Brazil in 1693. The state imposed a tax on the so-called royal fifth. Gold mining rose sharply in the 18th century and the tax became the most important source of income in the country.

Diamonds were also found in Brazil, and the gold flowed in great style to and through Lisbon, where opulent construction was an expression of prosperity. Others of the city and its citizens moved to Brazil, giving the country a European character.

The progress in Lisbon lasted until November 1, 1755, when one of the most powerful earthquakes recorded over time hit the city. About two-thirds of Lisbon were destroyed and many residents who had fled to the areas surrounding the River Tejo were drowned by the tsunami that followed the quake.

It is estimated that up to 60,000 of Lisbon’s 180,000 residents perished during the earthquake or subsequent floods and fires that ravaged the city for six days. Many solid buildings survived the quake, but most of the poorer people’s houses were destroyed. This also included several large public buildings, churches and so on.

Based on the destruction in 1755, the later awning of Pombal was given the task of rebuilding the city, and in a few decades it rose for the most part again; however, the entire reconstruction lasted until the early 19th century. The city center was relatively deserted after the earthquake of 1755, and Pombal perhaps used the world’s first major modern urban planning to construct the entire Baixa neighborhood, which was redone and rebuilt in a style far from the narrow streets and alleys of former times.

Some of Marquis de Pombal’s advisers had suggested moving the capital to another city, but Pombal dismissed that opportunity. There were funds in the country for the faster rebuilding, and the bill of about 20 million silver cruzados could be paid with revenue from Brazilian gold.

All buildings in Baixa were to be erected according to a new building regulations to protect against future earthquakes and fires. The main street Rua Augusta was constructed and it was the axis between the Rossia and Praça do Comércio squares in the new center.

The Marques de Pombal also did nothing but secure the reconstruction of Lisbon. He also conducted a showdown with the dominance of the church and the territorial power of the conservative nobility. In the 1770s, Pombal succeeded in securing the political influence of the grocery store, easing their taxes and other things that brought new growth and more business.

Pombal was forced to step down when Conservative Queen Maria I assumed the throne after José I. She reversed many of Pombal’s progressive reforms, and after an economic boom, Lisbon and Portugal stagnated, and it even came to economic setbacks.

 

Napoleonic era

After the independence of the United States and the French Revolution, there was political break-up in many places in Europe. In France, the aftermath of the revolution developed into Napoleonic rule and then several wars in which Portugal also became involved.

Portugal stood on the side of England from the beginning, and in 1807 France tried unsuccessfully to conquer the Portuguese navy and its ports. This prompted Napoleon to send troops led by General Junot against Portugal.

The late King João VI, who had been the real regent of Portugal since 1799, moved the court to Brazil the day before General Junot entered the Portuguese capital on November 30, 1807.

The French installed themselves in Lisbon, where Junot took up residence in the royal palace in Queluz. The daily headquarters were in the city center around Rossio Square, and liberal ideas with French inspiration were discussed. However, Junot chose not to carry on Pombal’s progressive ideas.

The French era did not last long in Lisbon. For various reasons, the Portuguese asked England for help, and the British came to Lisbon as early as 1808. They established headquarters in Arroios, and the English almost ruled the city and country as a British colony on behalf of the Portuguese regent who remained in Brazil.

French troops finally withdrew from Portugal in 1811. Fighting continued in the country, which with the Vienna Congress in 1815 became independent again; now just like the United Kingdom Portugal, Brazil and the Algarve / Reino Unido de Portugal, Brasil e Algarves.

The wars of the Napoleonic period, however, still gave way to reverberations. João VI became king in 1816, but the country remained under the leadership of the British and Marshal Beresford at the head. The liberation from the English began on August 24, 1820 in Porto, and the following year the Portuguese adopted a new constitution. João VI returned to Lisbon in 1821, and in 1822 Brazil declared independence with Pedro I as emperor.

 

19th Century Lisbon

The time after the new Portuguese independence was used to realize many new plans. In the decades, scheduled shipping by ship between Lisbon and Porto was established, a new city plan saw the light of day, just as new lighting was also invested. Railways were also included in the development plans early on, but conservative forces pulled out those plans, so Portugal’s first runway first opened between Lisbon and Carregado in 1856.

At the same time as the many new plants, the economy of Lisbon and Portugal was gradually deteriorating due to Brazilian independence. Brazil’s gold and many other commodities did not flow through Lisbon’s trading houses, so Portugal had to find alternative financing and trade to compensate for the loss.

Brazilian gold had made Lisbon rich since the end of the 16th century, and the city had become the fifth largest city in Europe. This was reversed, and the city maintained only a monopoly on trade with colonies such as Angola and Mozambique, while northern European cities had experienced significant increases in prosperity with industrialization and trade across the North Atlantic.

In Lisbon, however, the conservative elite made great fortunes, but poverty characterized other parts of society. In the 1870s, Fontes Pereira de Melo joined as prime minister, fighting for economic liberalism, industrialization and expansion of the country’s infrastructure.

A railway line was established between Lisbon and Porto, and electric light was introduced in 1878. Sewers were built and public houses were urged to paint houses in special colors using tiles on the facade. This call was to beautify Lisbon and distance it from an international reputation as a dirty city.

 

Geolocation

In short

Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon, Portugal[/caption]

Overview of Lisbon

Lisbon has just over two million inhabitants and it is a city and a population that charms and fascinates visitors all year round. Portugal’s great place in world history really comes to the fore in the city with countless beautiful buildings, constructed in earlier centuries with historic prosperity.

It was in Lisbon, many new voyages of discovery began, and they brought much wealth to the motherland. Persons such as Vasco da Gama and Henry the Navigator made history, and their names can be found several places in the city and country, as does the Marquis of Pombal, who was responsible for the large-scale reconstruction of the city after a colossal earthquake in 1755; the result can be seen today as the district of Baixa.

About the Whitehorse travel guide

Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
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Language: English

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Other Attractions

Santa Justa Lift, Lisbon

Santa Justa Elevator
Elevador de Santa Justa

The Elevador de Santa Justa is a means of transport that, since 1902, has carried people from the central Baixa to the ridge immediately next to the city centre. At the same time, the elevator is an interesting engineering construction that is worth trying.

It was Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, who was also a student of Gustave Eiffel, who built the Santa Justa elevator in the years 1900-1902. The construction is 45 meters high, and it is sandwiched between the buildings of the Baixa district. The elevator was originally steam powered, but in 1907 it was converted to electric operation.

Elevador de Santa Justa provides access to higher urban areas, but also use the ride to enjoy the technically fascinating structure. At the top, you are rewarded with a wonderful view of the entire center of Lisbon, where you can admire the many beautiful buildings that lie at your feet.

 

Liberty Avenue
Avenida da Liberdade

Avenida da Liberdade is an elegant and beautifully landscaped boulevard that is 90 meters wide. The boulevard has a length of 1.1 kilometers and it connects the Praça dos Restauradores and Praça do Marques de Pombal squares.

It was the architect Reinaldo Manuel who, under the umbrella of Pombal’s urban plan, designed a park where the current boulevard is located. The 18th century was fenced, which was changed in the following century. In the 1830s and 1840s, the park was changed with the installation of fountains, statues and more. You can still see allegorical statues from this time, symbolizing the Tagus and Douro rivers.

Between 1879 and 1886, the current Avenida da Liberdade was laid out according to the Parisian model. The grandiose boulevard immediately became a favorite place for Lisbon’s wealthy, who often also settled here. Since then, there have been many fashionable shops and cozy sidewalk restaurants along the Avenida, as the boulevard is popularly called. On a stroll here you can also see a larger monument to those who fell in the First World War. It was erected in 1931.

 

Christ the King, Lisbon

Christ the King
Cristo Rei

At the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge on the south side of the Tejo River stands the 103 meter tall Christ the King monument, which was built after inspiration from the Christ statue on top of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The monument is a tribute to Jesus Christ and decided to be erected in 1940 as a prayer to keep Portugal out of World War II. Construction started in 1950, and it was inaugurated in 1959. The foundation, which is 75 meters high, forms a gate on which the 28-meter-high Christ statue stands. You can take an elevator to the top of the foundation, from where there is a fine view of Lisbon.

 

Alfama, Lisbon

Alfama

The Alfama district is the oldest district in Lisbon, and thus the area stands in contrast to newer and more grandiose modern districts. Alfama spreads on the hill between Sankt Jørgen Borg/Castelo de São Jorge and the river Tejo. Under the Moors, Alfama constituted the city itself, which only later spread to include Baixa.

Alfama largely survived the earthquake of 1755, so it appears with its original town plan with the organically formed streets and squares that are like a labyrinth. In recent years, Alfama has been renovated from the traditional poor quarter, which it still partly remains. It is now a neighborhood that you should explore and perhaps enjoy the fado, the characteristic melancholic Portuguese music.

 

National Tile Museum
Museu Nacional do Azulejo

In many places in Lisbon and Portugal you can see fine decorations with the so-called azulejos, which are multicolored glazed earthenware tiles. This type of tile was produced by the Moors in Spain from the 14th century, and in Portugal its use has been widespread since the 18th century. Azulejos have since then been an element of the country’s architectural decoration, where the tiles have formed geometric patterns or actual illustrations.

At the museum here, you can learn about the production, history and use of azulejos, and you can see examples dating back to the 15th century. There are of course many azulejos in the exhibition, which also shows various earthenware, porcelain and ceramics from the 1800s to the present day.

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo was founded in 1965, and it is housed in the former Madre Deus Monastery/Convento da Madre de Deus, which was established in 1509 at the initiative of Queen Leonor. Both the monastery and the monastery church are in themselves beautifully decorated with azulejos, and they are therefore a good setting for the fine national museum. You can also experience the period Mannerist style here.

 

Lisbon Cathedral

Lisbon Cathedral
Sé de Lisboa

This is Lisbon’s cathedral, with a short name colloquially simply referred to as Sé; the official name is Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa. The church in its original version was built from 1147, and it was the city’s first church after the Christian recapture of Lisbon in the same year.

The cathedral of Lisbon was built on the same site as the main Muslim Moorish mosque, and the first bishop was Gilbert of Hastings, who was an English crusader. The 12th-century church was built in late Romanesque style, while extensions in the 13th-15th centuries were built in the Gothic architecture of the time.

The exterior of the church, with its two sturdy towers, looks almost like a castle, and it is one of the details that goes back to the time after the Christian reconquest of Lisbon and Portugal. The church was built as a Christian building, but also as a possible place to defend oneself in case of new attacks from the Muslim Moors.

King Afonso IV made the church a royal pantheon, and later King João I formally made Sé a cathedral; it happened in 1393. The church has to a certain extent survived the earthquakes in the city, but in 1755 the bell tower collapsed and other parts were also destroyed; this applied, among other things, to Afonso IV’s pantheon.

After the earthquake of 1755, Sé has been restored and partially returned to its original style. The church got its current appearance at the beginning of the 20th century. In one of the towers there is access to the treasures from the church’s long history. Here you can see, among other things, church relics and silverware.

Today you can see details from eras in Sé. The facade to the west with the rose window originates from the original building from the 12th century, while the Gothic style can be seen, among other things, in the adjacent monastery buildings. From the 17th century, chapels were built in baroque and later neoclassicism; since then, much of the neoclassicism has been removed to give Sé a more medieval feel.

The interior is period-typical and worth seeing. In the church room you can see, for example, the baptismal font, which dates from the cathedral’s early days. In one of the towers there is access to the treasures from the church’s long history. Among other things, you can see church relics, silverware, etc. there.

 

Rossio, Lisbon

Rossio

Rossio is the everyday name for the central square, which is formally called Praça de D. Pedro IV. The square is named after King Pedro IV, who is enthroned as a statue on top of the column in the middle of the square.

Rossio has been one of Lisbon’s central squares since the Middle Ages, when it emerged during the 13th and 13th centuries, when the city spread from the higher ground around Castelo de São Jorge to the low-lying area between the city’s ridges. Over time, the square has been used for both bullfights, beheadings and other popular or public activities.

The buildings around Rossio were largely destroyed during the 1755 earthquake, and the neighborhood was rebuilt later in the same century. Today, Rossio is beautifully paved, and there are fountains and a number of houses with typical facades from the Marquis of Pombal’s time as town planner.

 

Park of the Nations
Parque das Nações

Parque das Nações is a newer district in Lisbon, which lies beautifully along several kilometers of the banks of the river Tagus. The district is located in the area that formed the center of the world exhibition EXPO’98, which was held in Lisbon in 1998.

Parque das Nações is an experience of modern architecture and many recreational areas. There is a variety of entertainment here, and you can also simply take a stroll along the river or among the architecture, of which the Gare do Oriente railway station is one of the foremost examples.

 

Ponte 25 Abril, Lisbon

25 April Bridge
Ponte 25 de Abril

For example, if you take a tram from the Praça do Comércio square towards Belém, the journey goes along the Tejo River. You drive through several of Lisbon’s neighborhoods, and you can see the large suspension bridge, Ponte 25 de Abril, which is getting closer and closer.

Ponte 25 de Abril is an impressive bridge that spans the Tagus. The carriageways float 70 meters above the water, and the longest span is 1,013 metres. The large bridge is a total of 2,278 meters long. The Ponte 25 de Abril was completed after four years of work in 1966, and in 1999 a train deck was built underneath the roadways.

The bridge was originally called Salazar Bro/Ponte Salazar after the head of government of Portugal at the time of its opening, but after the democratic revolution, Revolução dos Cravos, on April 25, 1974, the bridge was renamed after this event.

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