LISBON :The hilly Portuguese capital known for the Alfama district, São Jorge Castle,historical Fado songs/music & beautiful pristine beaches.

On 01/09/22, we four set-off from Eindhoven ,Netherlands on our 11-day exciting trips to the amazing European destinations: Portugal ,Spain, Italy,Pisa & Vetican city.We thoroughly enjoyed the mesmerizing locations.I am hereby describing our visits to Lisbon attractions in 3 blogs this one being the first one!

PORTUGAL :

Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain. Its location on the Atlantic Ocean has influenced many aspects of its culture: salt cod and grilled sardines are national dishes, the Algarve’s beaches are a major destination and much of the nation’s architecture dates to the 1500s–1800s, when Portugal had a powerful maritime empire. 

LISBON ,THE CAPITAL OF PORTUGAL :
Lisbon is Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city. From imposing São Jorge Castle, the view encompasses the old city’s pastel-colored buildings, Tagus Estuary and Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge. Nearby, the National Azulejo Museum displays 5 centuries of decorative ceramic tiles. Just outside Lisbon is a string of Atlantic beaches, from Cascais to Estoril. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens), predating other modern European capitals by centuries. Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding to the name Olissipo. After the fall of the Roman Empire it was ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century; later it was captured by the Moors in the 8th century. In 1147 Afonso Henriques conquered the city and since then it has been the political, economic and cultural centre of Portugal. It is mainland Europe’s westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast. Lisbon lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the River Tagus. The westernmost portions of its metro area, the Portuguese Riviera, form the westernmost point of Continental Europe, culminating at Cabo da Roca..

ARCO DA RUA AUGUSTA :
This triumphal arch in Rua Augusta has always impressed those roaming Lisbon’s busiest pedestrianised street. But now you can visit the top of this unique structure for a truly singular and impressive view of Baixa and the river. It symbolises the rebirth of a new Lisbon after the tragedy of the earthquake, fire and tsunami in 1755 that razed what stood before. And it affirms, in Latin, “The Virtues of the Greatest”: the strength, resilience and achievements of the Portuguese people. At the top stand the sculptures by Célestin Anatole Calmels of Glory crowning Genius and Valour. You can’t help but be inspired by these values as you admire the 360º view of the best Lisbon has to offer. The remaining statues, by Victor Bastos, represent figures of our history. On the left we find the Marquis of Pombal, the following are Vasco da Gama and Viriato and, on the right, Nuno Álvares Pereira. Discover the history of this arch in the exhibition in the Clock Room for a sense of what it stands for.

PRACA DO COMERCIO :
One of Lisbon’s most emblematic squares is Praça do Comércio. Better known by locals as Terreiro do Paço, since it was once where the paço, or palace, used to stand before the earthquake in 1755, it is one of the largest squares in Europe. As a symbol of the city, it provides access to various attractions that mustn’t be missed: Pátio da Galé; Cais das Colunas; and the innovative Lisbon Story Centre. You should also climb up the Arco da Rua Augusta to marvel at the symmetry of the streets, the calçada portuguesa and the view of the river. Take a rest at the feet of King José I and the imposing horse Gentil, a statue sculpted by Machado de Castro which so well illustrates royal power and the nobility of the Lusitano breed. Make Praça do Comércio your starting point for discovering the city.

SANTA MARIA MAIOR : Santa Maria Maior is a freguesia (civil parish) and district of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Located in the historic center of Lisbon, Santa Maria Maior is to the west of São Vicente, east of Misericórdia, and south of Arroios and Santo António. It is home to numerous historic monuments, including Lisbon Cathedral, the Rossio, and the Praça do Comércio, as well as famous neighborhoods, such as the Lisbon Baixa, as well as parts of Bairro Alto and Alfama. The Praça do Comércio. The parish was created by the administrative reorganization of Lisbon on 8 December 2012. from the incorporation of other 12 old small parishes: Mártires, Sacramento, São Nicolau, Madalena, Santa Justa, Sé, Santiago, São Cristóvão e São Lourenço, Castelo, Socorro, São Miguel and Santo Estêvão. The official name of the freguesia comes from Cathedral of Santa Maria Maior, seat of the Patriarchate of Lisbon. The Baixa was built following the destruction of the 1755 Great Earthquake of Lisbon, under orders of King Joseph I of Portugal’s prime minister, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, whose architects rebuilt the area in what is known as the Pombaline style.

SANTA JUSTA LIFT :
The Elevador de Santa Justa is one of the city’s most famous sights. Designed by Mesnier du Ponsard, it was originally called the Ascensor Ouro-Carmo.It connects Rua do Ouro to Largo do Carmo via a neogothic-style structure completely unlike any of the other elevadores in the city. The lifts themselves, made of wood elegantly decorated with brass, evoke a journey in time as they ascend and descend towards the most exclusive areas of the city. At the top of the tower is one of the best viewing points in the city, providing a splendid panorama of Baixa, Castelo, the Tagus and also the impressive ruins of the church of the Convento do Carmo. It’s worth a ride to feel a surge of emotion at the view which extends before your eyes.

OCEANARIO DE LISBOA :(Lisbon Oceanarium)
The Lisbon Oceanarium is an oceanarium in Lisbon, Portugal. It is located in the Parque das Nações, which was the exhibition grounds for the Expo ’98. It is the largest indoor aquarium in Europe. The Lisbon Oceanarium has a large collection of marine species — penguins, seagulls and other birds; sea otters (mammals); sharks, rays, chimaeras, seahorses and other bony fish; crustaceans; starfish, sea urchins& other echinoderms; sea anemones, corals and other cnidaria; octopuses, cuttlefish, sea snails and other mollusks; amphibians; jellyfish; marine plants and terrestrial plants and other marine organisms totaling about 16,000 individuals of 450 species.

THE PRACA DA FIGUEIRA :
The Praça da Figueira is a large square in the centre of Lisbon, in Portugal. It is part of the Lisbon Baixa, the area of the city reurbanised after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. In the 16th century the square did not exist, and most of its area was occupied by the Hospital Real de Todos os Santos, the most important in the city. In 1755, after the great earthquake which destroyed most of Lisbon, the hospital was greatly damaged. It was demolished around 1775. The large area previously occupied by the hospital in the Baixa was turned into an open market square. Around 1885, a large covered market of 8,000 m² was built. This market existed until 1949, when it was demolished. Since then the square has been an open space. In 1971 a bronze equestrian statue representing King John I, by sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida, was inaugurated in the square. The monument also carries medallions with the effigies of Nuno Álvares Pereira and João das Regras, two key characters in the 1385 Revolution that brought John I to power.

MUSEU DO FADO (Fado Museum):
Born in the popular contexts of the 1800s Lisbon, Fado was present in convivial and leisure moments. Happening spontaneously, his execution took place indoors or outdoors, in gardens, bullfights, retreats, streets and alley, taverns, chambermaid cafes and half-door houses. Evoking urban emergence themes, singing the daily narratives, Fado is profoundly related to social contexts ruled by marginality and transgression in a first phase, taking place in locations visited by prostitutes, faias , sailors, coachmen and marialvas . Often surprised in prison, its actors – the singers – are described in the beechfigure, a fado singer guy, a bully of a rough and hoarse voice with tattoos and skilled with a flick knife who spoke using slang.I love everything connected to Fado, In this beautiful museum, you can go through the history of this UNESCO- protected Portuguese gem! There is a room in which you can sit and listen to historical records of Fado songs and performers arranged in alphabetical order.

Alfama :a neighborhood in Lisbon.

The steep streets of Alfama, one of Lisbon’s oldest areas, are lined with shops selling traditional crafts and cafes. Passengers pack the historic no. 28 tram, which winds through Alfama on its way up to 11th-century São Jorge Castle. Views from Miradouro da Graça terrace stretch over the city to the River Tagus. In the evening, melancholy Fado music can be heard in some of the area’s long-running restaurants.

Overlooking the Alfama is the medieval Castle of São Jorge, royal residence until the early 16th century with views of the city. In the slopes of Alfama there are other terraces (miradouros) from which to see the city, like the Miradouro de Santa Luzia, near the church of the same name and over remnants of the Moorish city walls, and the Miradouro das Portas do Sol (Gates of the Sun). Near Miradouro of Santa Luzia is located the Museum of Decorative Arts (Museu de Artes Decorativas), a 17th-century mansion. From 2012, Alfama is part of the freguesia of Santa Maria Maior.
Among the churches of the Alfama are Lisbon Cathedral (12th–14th centuries), the oldest of the city and located to the West of the neighbourhood, the Convent of the Grace (Convento da Graça, 18th century), near the Castle, the mannerist Monastery of São Vicente de Fora (late 16th–18th century), where the Kings of the House of Braganza are buried, and the baroqueChurch of Santa Engrácia (17th century), now converted into a National Pantheon of S. Engrácia. for important Portuguese personalities.

The Rua do Barão is one of the streets of the Freguesia da Sé, which begins at the Rua São João da Praça (where once stood the Door of the Alfama) and ends at Rua Augusto Rosa (at the Cathedral’s walls). The toponym “Rua do Barão” is because João Fernandes da Silveira, the first Baron of Alvito, minister of Portuguese kings Dom Afonso V and Dom João II, lived here. During the times of Moorish domination, Alfama constituted the whole of the city, which later spread to the West (Baixa neighbourhood). Alfama became inhabited by the fishermen and the poor, and its condition as the neighbourhood of the poor continues to this day. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake did not destroy the Alfama, which has remained a labyrinth of narrow streets and small squares. Lately the neighbourhood has been restored with the renovation of the old houses and new restaurants where Fado Portuguese typical is sometimes played.

My dear readers may kindly point out any incorrect information in my above writeup needing any corrections! I am truly indebted to Wikipedia for the invaluable information on the subject ! Happy Reading !