Lisbon 2

Second day

After breakfast in the apartment, we started heading for the heart of Libsbon, from the coast to the north of the city.

The streets here are beautiful and were created after the earthquake and the fire that had damaged them previously. Arriving from the river bank, you will reach the three main squares: Praça Dom Pedro IV, called Rossio, Figuira and Restauradores. At the bottom of the river, you come to the Praça do Comercio square and the Arco del triunfo (arch), east of here is Lisbon old town and to the west is the Chiado neighbourhood. It is known for its elegant stores, cafes, theatres and great slopes (which are now more bearable thanks to the elevators that were built in the 19th century). For easier access, workers joined the highest part of the Chiado neighbourhood with Baixa.

The furthest away square is Praça de Restauradores where Avenida da Liberdade starts, and was completed in the nineteenth century. The square is a link between the more recent architecture from the nineteenth century to the more old fashioned Baixa from the eighteenth century. The avenue is aligned with grand hotels and luxury shops, ending at the Marques de Pombal Square. Behind the square is the Eduardo VII park and the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.

The Baixa

The Baixa is a perfect example of how to lay-out a city, created in the eighteenth century right in the heart of Lisbon. Long, straight streets that lead to large squares, elegant buildings, individual boutiques that are decorated with exquisite tiles, and the great, bustling atmosphere in the streets make the Baixa the soul of the city, where tourists and locals gather alike.

Baixa actually means 'low zone'. It was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake by the Marquis of Pombal. The earthquake was on 1 November 1755. It was a day of a Catholic festival and most locals were taking Mass in one of the many churches or the cathedral.

It was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Western Europe and thousands died. After the earthquake, a tsunami occurred which flooded the whole city, and because of the damage, a fire tore down the capital for the next five days. There are testimonies that have been discovered over the years by locals who said that they heard a horrific noise like thunder, and then churches and buildings began to crumble. The second tremor was even worse and people ran away in panic. Buildings started to fall and massive cracks opened in the ground. People fled to the river trying to find open spaces away from the destruction, and others fled to the suburbs away from the centre.

Forty minutes later, the tsunami happened and immediately destroyed the pier, boats and flooded the lower part of the city killing about 20, 000 people who had just fled there. And finally, anything that was left standing after the earthquake and the tsunami was destroyed by a roaring fire that lasted five days, fueled by an intensely strong wind. The Marquis of Pombal (Prime Minister Jose I) sought all the resources he could to try and help the wounded and hungry citizens, he took charge of the situation and quickly ordered to bury the dead and feed the survivors. He was informed about the possible aftershocks and other consequences after the disaster, so he spent a long time planning the reconstruction of the city as well as he could to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again. He was called "the father of seismology. "

He designed the new streets and squares based on the design of a military camp, it was very tidy, 12 m wide, and filled with classic and elegant buildings. The streets have retained their names as Rua da Prata and Rua do Ouro, which are the streets full of jewellers. Every street had a specific function. Rua dos Fanqueiros is the street for clothes shops etc...

The Baixa is located in the east of the city, the Chiado to the west, and the Rossio Square in the north (Praça Dom Pedro IV). In the south is the Plaza del Comercio.

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Praça do Comércio

This square is surrounded by arches and occupies what was formerly, Terreiro do Paço, which was also destroyed in the earthquake and fire. The Marques de Pombal wanted a large square where ambassadors, royals and visitors could meet, with surrounding houses where Ministers could stay. So for this reason the Town Hall is built on the west part of this square. It has a balcony where the First Republic of Portugal was proclaimed in 1910. The Republic parties are held every October 5 in this square.

In the centre of the square, there is a statue of Joseph I on horseback. It is 14 meters high and is the work of Joaquim machado de castro. The south of the square is open to the Tagus river and the other three sides are aligned with arched buildings. Historically, it was the place where ships would dock and the gateway to the city. In one of the arches is the legendary café from 1782 "Café Martinho da arcada". It was a popular haunt for the poet Fernando Pessoa between 1920 and 1930, who died in 1935. During the evenings he spent here, he wrote "Mensagem", you can even see the table at which he sat and wrote. Another frequent writer was Jose Saramago, the nobel prize winner for literature in 1998. His best known work is "Travel to Portugal", a tribute to his home country.

You will also find the tourist information office in this square where you can get free brochures and maps which provide you with all the necessary information you need.

Arco del Triunfo

At the north of the square, you will see a great arch-like building of a Neoclassical style, which leads to Rua Augusta. The arch is adorned with stone figures. The highest one of these figures is of Célestin Anatole Calmels representing Glory crowning Genius and Valor. In the lower level, there are sculptures by Vítor Bastos, representing the historical personalities of Nuno Alvares Pereira, Viriato, Vasco da Gama and the Marquis of Pombal. It was built in 1873 by Santos Carvalo.

Continuing on Rue Augusta, we come to buildings of blue façades and mosaic cobblestones. It is a pedestrianised street therefore it is grea to walk down and appreciate its beauty. You can then continue onto Rua da Conceiçao, where you will come to a rectangular culvert which is covering some Roman remains. Follow the road to Rua do Ouro where you will get to the Santa Justa lift.

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Santa Justa lift

This lift serves a great function. It is a large iron tower that is used to get from the Baixa neighbourhood up to the higher neighbourhoods. It is much more than just a form of public transport, it is also a tourist attraction. Opened in 1902, it was powered by steam engines until 1907 when it started using electric engines. It was built by Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard, a great admirer of the Eiffel Tower. Being 45 metres high, it is considered as a view point in itself. The views included: the Baixa, the castle, the river and the other main squares of the city. We took the lift and reached the pretty square of Chiado. Here lie the ruins of the Carmo Convent, which is today an archaeological museum.

Before visiting the Archaeological Museum and the Museu do Chiado, we had a coffee in Café A Brasileira, a famous coffee shop in Lisbon which has been open since 1905. The shop was opened by Adrian Telles to import and sell Brazilian coffee in the 19th century from Minas Gerais. It eventually became a café. It reached its peak in 1920, bringing in many exclusive clients such as artists, writers and political figures. The interior decoration has not changed since it was opened, wood panelling, gilded fans and mirrors adorn the walls. Near the door at one of the tables you will see a bronze statue of Fernando Pessoa, who was a regular customer. It's located at 120 Rua Garrett and is open daily from 8am until 2am.

Carmo Archaelogical Museum

The museum is situated in the same location as the ruins of Our Lady of Mount Carmel convent lies, which originates from the fourteenth century. In the centre of the square is a beautiful fountain. The convent was built by a commander of Dom Joao I called Nuno Álvares Pereira. It was a struggle building on top of a hill but it was achieved. It is believed that the unstable roof caused a lot of damage during the earthquake as it fell and buried those worshipping inside. The walls are still standing. The museum holds many archaeological remains from Europe.

Chiado Museum

Originally founded in 1911, burned down in a fire in 1988 and was then rebuilt in 1994. It boasts collections of paintings by artists who painted in this city during the late nineteenth century, including works of the streets of Lisbon, the river, the castle, etc.. Styles range from romanticism to abstract art. One of my favourite personal paintings is Lisboa e tejo, a masterpiece by Carlos Botelho. This museum is number 4 Rua Serpa Pinto.

To get to Rossio, continue along the Rua do Carmo until you reach the square.

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Rossio

The square is actually called Praça Dom Pedro IV, and there is a statue of him in one of the corners. He was the King of Portugal in 1826. It is a large square where bull fights, parades and religious plays took place. One of the architects in charge of its reconstruction was Eugenio Dos Santos. The square was raised after it had previously been flooded. In 1974, on April 25, tanks filled the square. A soldier received a carnation from a florist here and put it in his gun-barrel, giving the event its current name, the Carnation Revolution.

It is believed that the statue does not have the same face as that of the Portuguese king. It turns out that a statue of Maximilian of Mexico arrived in Lisbon, to be then transported elsewhere, but Maximiliano was killed and the statue remained in Lisbon, therefore there has always been a doubt about who the statue actually is. North of the square is the Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II, which was built in 1846 on the site of the old Palácio dos Estaus palace. The Palácio dos Estaus was initially constructed in 1450 and was used by the Portuguese royal family to host foreign dignitaries and noblemen visiting Lisbon. The columns of the arch were formerly a part of the San Francisco church but it was destroyed in the earthquake. To the west is the Sao Sunday church, this is an area where the many seats of Portugal's former colonies can be found... African Guinea-Bissau and Angola. From here, you will find Praça da Figueira. It is a place where many people meet, it's very busy and is always lively.

There are a few small bars north-east of Rossio which are the only places that sell 'ginjinha', a delicious cherry liqueur served in plastic cups. You can either drink it on its own or with some strong cherry flavoured brandy. They also serve herbal liqueur that has been served since 1840.

Praça da figueira

The square is named after the market that has took place here since 1949. In the centre, we can see a statue of Joao I, the King of Portugal in 1385. It is surrounded by four storey buildings. This was the King that signed the oldest treaty that is still in force, the Treaty of Windsor with England. It is an alliance Treaty that was signed in 1386.

From here, we can walk to the third square.

Restauradores

This square was built to commemorate the lives lost in the rebel against the Spaniards in 1640. In the center we see the memorial obelisk. We found rossio station from where the train to Sintra, the façade is Manueline style.

We were quite hungry so we decided to have lunch at La travessa de Santo Antao, in Bonjardim, it was a really good price. We sat outside in the sun whilst we ate. We had the peri-peri flavoured sole which was really good. It's open daily from midday to 23. 00.

We headed to one of the museums that I really liked: Museu Calouste Gulbenkian. We took the Baixa-Chiado metro to San Sebastào.

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Calouste Golbenkian Museum

If you only have time to see one museum in Lisbon, then go here. You can see one of the most important art collections in the world and it boasts the best works of all ages and nationalities from around the world. In addition to the museum itself, there are 7 hectares of gardens. The museum is surrounded by buildings that house the Calouste Golbenkian Foundation. This foundation does a great job of promoting culture all around Portugal, all thanks to its founder (1869-1955). He had a passion for silver, French furniture and paintings. Listed in chronological order, here is a list of its 4000 years of history:

• Rooms 1/3: these rooms are dedicated to the ancient world. This collection is small but very important. We see objects from ancient Egypt. There is a bowl made of translucent alabaster from 2500 BC. There is also a stela that held the Pharaoh in 1580 BC. I loved a bronze figure of a cat with her cubs, it is thought to be made for a tomb of a cat. There is a black vase from Greek history from 440 BC and also some wonderful red ornaments depicting the story of Castor and Pollux. There is Roman jewellery adorned with ancient gods. Crystal ornaments from the same time period that I don't know how they have survived.
• Rooms 4-6: these rooms hold treasures of the east. It is a collection of the best pieces from Armenian and Islamic history. There are Persian carpets woven in wool or silk. Tiles from the Ottoman Empire. A beautiful fifteenth-century panel made with blue, turquoise and white ceramic tiles. Ceramics from Persia and Turkey, especially bowls from Izmit. Egyptian lamps, made of ancient glass from mosques from the fourteenth century. There is an amazing pitcher of white jade from Samarkand, from the fifteenth century. Very rare because I always thought that jade was green. Continuing we see bowls from the ming dynasty in different shades of green. Beautiful vases and china teapots from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. And to round off such beauty we found a Chinese screen with decorated and lacquered with paper.
• Rooms 7-15: European Art. We see a collection of objects made from ivory. Illuminated manuscripts. The paintings are fabulous, there are many landscapes and portraits, which was popular during certain periods. Pictures by Vittore Carpaccio (Holy Family), Ghirlandaio (Portrait of a young), Gainsborough, and Romney Lawrence, who painted portraits of young girls. Portraits by Rembrandt (Pallas Athene). Lifelike portraits that, in turn, show us painters such as Rubens and Van Dyck. A canvas by Turner, where we see fog on "the mouth of the river Seine". You also have to see the many Guardi paintings of Venetian scenes. Paintings by Manet, Renoir, Corot and Degas, French Impressionists. And the best part for me were the splendid French furniture from the era of Louis XV and Louis XVI, absolutely beautiful. A chest of drawers made in 1750, with Japanese lacquerware. I loved the desk by Carlin Martin, from 1772 which was made for Madame du Barry, decorated with Sevres porcelain, gold and silver cutlery and porcelain.
• We see a fabulous collection of silver pieces made by Germain during the eighteenth century. Gulbenkian bought them between 1928 and 1930 and they are the most important of their kind in the world. The last room was full of unique jewellery by designer Rene Lalique, 169 jewels are ornated with precious stones such as pearls, enamel, gold and diamonds. We see the original drawings of the designs. I loved one that showed orchids, ivory, gold, tortoiseshell and topaz. Also, there was a drawing of a peacock full of diamonds, enamel, gold and opal.

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We were in awe. We bought a book from the gift shop that told us all about the collection. It tells the story of Calouste Golbenkian. We walked around the grounds after having a coffee and cupcake in the nice cafe there.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10. 00 -17. 45. The price isn't too bad. It is in Avenida de Berna.

We walked through the nearby gardens in Eduardo VII Park. The name was given by the King of England who visited Lisbon in 1903. The planning for the park started in 1888 and 50 years later, it became the park that we know today. Sculptures, fountains, flower patches and rose gardens. There is a greenhouse that holds plants from all around the globe.

We went back to Rossio and had a drink at Nicola coffee, although it took a little while to get a table, because it is the most popular shop in Lisbon. It has been open since the eighteenth century and has always been a popular place for writers and politicians. The interior is decorated with marble and glass, and it was restored in 1990. It is open Monday to Saturday from 7. 00 - 23. 00. We walked back through the Baixa and eventually reached Praça do trade to see the illuminated monuments. We then made our way back via Alfama. We dined in the apartment. We had dinner in the apartment.

Places of entertainment in Lisbon include the National Theatre of Sao Carlos, at number 9 Rua Serpa Pinto. It is decorated in rococo style, and was built in 1793. It shows the opera and symphony concerts.

Curiosities and artists

I will tell you about Fernando Pessoa. He was born in the neighborhood of Chiado in Rua Serpa Pinto, in 1888. He is considered to be the best Portuguese poet of modern times. He always lived in Lisbon, as he loved it there, but he did spend five years living in South Africa since his mother-in-law was a consul there. He learnt English there. He wrote most of his work whilst he was in Lisbon. His only published work was "Mensagem". Since we was bilingual, he worked as a technical translator. Some of the publications he worked on included "Orfeo". He also introduced some literary currents to Portugal, that were at the time, at their peak in Europe. His first poems were published in English. In the evenings, he wrote in Brasileira coffee or Martinho da arcade. He published poems that were signed with different names in Portuguese, each name corresponds to a personality of the author, he had seventy different alter egos called heterónimos. He created Alberto Caeiro, Alvaro Fields, Ricardo Reis and many more, including some women. His poetry was always melancholy. He died of liver cirrhosis from drinking absinthe in 1935. After his death, his completed work was published.

And of course we cannot forget Calouste Gulbenkian. We didn't know about him until he arrived in Lisbon. You might wonder why a man with a name that is in no way Portuguese is so well known and admired here. There is an orchestra and a choir that bear his name and the best museum in the world. We bought a book in the museum that talks about him.

The foundation was established in 1956 and has funded a lot of art in Portugal. It was created by desire of Calouste Gulbenkian Sarkis. Born in 1869 in Istanbul, he was a Christian Armenian. He graduated in 1887 in London and was very involved in the oil industry. He became a British citizen in 1902. He made a fortune from the oil industry from some Arabic countries. He was involved in the royal dutch-shell creation and the turkish oil company. He always remained a part owner of the companies he was involved with, his nickname becoming "Mr. five percent".

In 1890, he began his collection, taking note of the origin of each piece and its condition. Everything was on show at his home in Paris. In 1930, he decided to create an institution in London so he could show all the pieces to the public. But then the World War II started and England were the enemy of Portugal. Portugal welcomed him when the Germans invaded France in 1942 he fell in love with the country. He died in Lisbon in 1955, leaving everything to the country that had welcomed him after the war at a time of such despair, I quote, "I had not felt myself anywhere but here". The entire collection was taken to Lisbon in 1960 and thus was created the largest foundation dedicated to art in the world. His legacy includes: Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Centre of Modern Art, Gulbenkian Science Institute, Gulbenkian Planetarium, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Gulbenkian Choir (all in Lisbon), Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK) and the Calouste Gulbenkian Cultural Centre (Paris).

The foundation also subsidizes artistic events, exhibitions, awards, scholarships and research projects in Portugal. In France and the United Kingdom, it sponsors lots of art events.

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