PORTUGAL TOURS
This description of Lisbon and surroundings (Sintra, Estoril, Cascais, Sesimbra) was made to accompany the movie we made. Since the movie is accompanied by typical sounds like environmental sounds, Portuguese talking, birds, animals, music, etc, we didn’t want to spoil the sound and the explanation goes apart. Enjoy it.
Index:
TRADE
1-Trade (Ribeira market)
2-Trade (flee market)
3-Trade (Shopping areas)
SQUARES
1-Squares (Trade square)
2-Squares (Figueira square)
3-Squares (Rossio square)
4-Squares (Restauradores square)
5-Squares (Marquis of Pombal square)
6-Squares (Saldanha square)
7-Squares (Entrecampos square)
8-Squares (Spain square)
TRADE
1-Trade (Ribeira market)
Let’s see the commerce of Lisbon. This is the biggest, the most ancient and the most typical market of Lisbon. It’s still a busy one, which opens at 5 a.m., and here you find everything including a nice mood and friendship. Even if you don’t want to spend your money, everybody welcomes you with opened arms. The Portuguese are very much known for hospitality and goodwill for everybody without exception…
Our country has been one of merchants and negotiators. They had an important role in the Portuguese history and they still account a lot for the Portuguese economy.
Despite the fact that many hypermarkets were opened all around the place, we still see many of this kind of markets in town. Fish is good but the main dish is codfish…
2-Trade (flee market)
We also have a flee market since 1882, close by saint Engracia’s church. Here you can find everything less expensive and second-hand stuff. They are not tricky in trading, but if you want you can bargain the price. Yes, because among many new items, you always find those kind of things the others don’t need anymore. This works like a cash converter to many people and anybody is free to trade here.
And like everything that is old and traditional it stands near the river…
3-Trade (Shopping areas)
In the traditional shopping area of Lisbon, close by the castle, shops are opened since the time of the Romans, for more than 2000 years. It’s still the forum of Lisbon, in spite of many other shopping areas that developed here and there.
It’s all decorated with lights during Christmas time. Although they close here by night, you can find many opened till almost 12 p.m. in the many shopping malls, everyday, including Sundays and public holidays… We have some of the biggest in Europe. Most of them were opened quite recently, with fine-looking décors, and work as a symbol of the recent boom of the economy, so much echoed in the capital…
SQUARES
1-Squares (Trade square)
A square is the mirror of a city. And to show you how graceful this city is, we start by Trade Square, close to the river, the entrance of Lisbon for caravels and galleons in the past.
There is Glory crowning Fame and Victory at the top of the Triumphal Arch with statues of important people of Portuguese history. It’s like an entrance to the shopping area behind the square and it is in due proportion with the square, the most elegant one, another badge of this city.
In the middle, the equestrian statue of king Joseph. He was king during the earthquake of 1755, since this square was rebuilt afterwards. This was the most famous square in the world in the 16 century, where king Manuel, who had his palace here, used to ride elephants in front of boats arriving from different parts of the world.
This was one of the most famous squares in Europe, the entrance of Lisbon when people and trade used to arrive by sea. It was a point of reference for many navigators and discoverers…
2-Squares (Figueira square)
Figueira square is another in the heart of trading area. Here is the statue of king John I, the one who stimulated the maritime expansion, thus connecting the west and the east by sea and bringing the new world to the knowledge of Europeans.
3-Squares (Rossio square)
And side by side with this one is Rossio, the public square since the middle Ages. This is the heart of Lisbon, for a long, long time. The statue in the middle is of king Peter IV, who fought for liberalism in Portugal in the 19 century. He gave independence to the Portuguese colony of Brazil becoming its first emperor. His statue was made in Paris, like the two elegant bronze fountains. In front, queen Mary II theatre, made in the 19 century, in neo-classic style.
It was in this square that many important events took place, like feasts, bullfights, public executions, processions, revolutions… still busy and a romantic place by night, when light is given to its best parts…
4-Squares (Restauradores square)
Also a few steps away, there is Restauradores square. Homage to those who restored the Portuguese independence in 1640. It’s next to the restaurants where you can try the typical dishes of Portugal, the tourism office and a number of good Hotels, which stay close to the center.
This is another strategic square, close to the center, and if we take Liberty Avenue up north, we arrive to marquis of Pombal square.
5-Squares (Marquis of Pombal square)
There’s the statue of the marquis, who was a prime minister in the 18 century. He took care of the reconstruction of Portugal with a powerful iron will and a wrist of steal after the 1755 earthquake, one of the strongest, perhaps the worst, natural catastrophe in Europe.
This square was the end of Lisbon in the 18 century, which means that we are leaving the old town and see the modern plazas.
6-Squares (Saldanha square)
If we move a little further up, always taking the large and wide avenues, made in the 19 century when Lisbon was developing to the north, we arrive to Saldanha square. Duke of Saldanha, grandson of marquis of Pombal, was a brave man who fought several battles for freedom and liberalism in Portugal.
Some of his heirs are still the owners of several private plots of land all around the country.
In this square starts Republic Avenue, one of the longest and widest in Lisbon, named in homage to the Portuguese republic, which started in 1910, after the fall of monarchy. We take this avenue to arrive to Entrecampos Square.
7-Squares (Entrecampos square)
Entrecampos square has a monument to those who fought in the peninsular war. In this square start a number of long and wide avenues, which means that this is definitely the modern part of Lisbon.
8-Squares (Spain square)
Not distant is Spain square part from the arch that belonged to a convent of Lisbon ordered by king Philip II of Spain, we have here a XVII century palace built for a Portuguese count, prior to the trembling of the 18-century.