t Interior of São Roque, the earliest Jesuit church in Portugal
t Interior of São Roque, the earliest Jesuit church in Portugal
São Roque’s plain façade belies a rich interior. The church was founded at the end of the 16th century by the Jesuit Order, then at the peak of its power. In 1742, the Chapel of St John the Baptist was commissioned by the prodigal João V from Italian architects Luigi Vanvitelli and Nicola Salvi. Constructed in Rome and embellished with jewels, precious marbles, gold, silver and mosaics, the chapel was given the pope’s blessing in the church of Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi in Rome, dismantled and sent to Portugal in three ships.
Among the church’s many tiles, the oldest and most interesting are those in the third chapel on the right, dating from the 16th century and dedicated to São Roque (St Roch), protector against the plague. Other features of the church are the scenes of the Apocalypse painted on the ceiling.
The Gothic ruins of this Carmelite church, built on a slope overlooking the Baixa, are evocative reminders of the devastation left by the earthquake of 1755. The church collapsed during Mass, depositing tons of masonry on to the people below. Founded in the late 14th century by Nuno Álvares Pereira, the commander who became a member of the Carmelite Order, the church was at one time the biggest in Portugal. Today, the main body of the church and the chancel, whose roof withstood the earthquake, houses the Museu do Carmo, with a small, heterogeneous collection of sarcophagi, statuary, ceramics and mosaics.
Among more ancient finds from Europe are a remnant of a Visigothic pillar and a Roman tomb carved with reliefs depicting the Muses. There are also finds from Mexico and South America, including ancient mummies.
Fernando Pessoa liked to write under distinct literary personas, which he called “heteronyms”.
Statues of literary figures can be found in this area, known for its intellectual associations. A bronze statue by sculptor Lagoa Henriques depicts Fernando Pessoa, Portugal’s great Modernist poet, sitting at a table outside the café A Brasileira, once a favourite rendezvous of the city’s intellectuals.
Rua Garrett, named after the author and poet João Almeida Garrett (1799–1854), descending from Largo do Chiado towards the Baixa, is known for its cafés and shops. Devastated by fire in 1988, the former elegance of this quarter has now been restored.
t Statue of poet Fernando Pessoa outside the café A Brasileira
On 25 August 1988, a disastrous fire began in a store in Rua do Carmo, the street that links the Baixa with the Bairro Alto. Fire engines were unable to enter this pedestrianized street and the fire spread into Rua Garrett. Important 18th-century buildings were destroyed. The renovation project, headed by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, preserved many original façades.
Replacing a former opera house that was ruined by the earthquake of 1755, the Teatro de São Carlos was built in 1792–5 by José da Costa e Silva. Inspired by the design of great Italian theatres such as La Scala in Milan, the building has a beautifully proportioned façade and an enchanting Rococo interior. Views of the exterior, however, are spoiled by the car park, invariably crammed, which occupies the square in front.
The opera season lasts from September to June, but concerts and ballets are also staged here at other times of the year. The opera house is also home to the Portuguese Symphonic Orchestra.
Experience Bairro Alto and Estrela
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drink Pavilhão Chinês This quirky bar is packed with a bizarre array of collector’s items, from dolls to model planes, and also features a strong cocktail list. L6 ⌂ Rua Dom Pedro V 89 § 213 424 729 Cinco Lounge Credited with making cocktails cool in Portugal, this smart and very chic bar offers over 100 options, ranging from classics to the more experimental. L6 Rua Ruben A. Leitão 17a ∑ cincolounge.com Portas Largas A buzzy, traditional tavern with live music and well-priced drinks, where the revelry spills out onto the street. M6 ⌂ Rua da Atalaia 103–105 § 218 466 379 |
t Paintings and sculpture at Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado
The National Museum of Contemporary Art moved to this stylishly restored warehouse in 1994. The paintings and sculpture are arranged over three floors in seven rooms. Each room has a different theme illustrating the development from Romanticism to Modernism. The majority are Portuguese works, often showing a marked influence from other European countries – this is particularly noticeable in the 19th-century landscape painters who had contact with artists from the French Barbizon School. The few international works of art on display are mainly French sculpture from the late 19th century, including one by Rodin (1840–1917). There are also temporary exhibitions, which are held for “very new artists, preferably inspired by the permanent collection”.
This small puppet museum, housed in an elegantly refurbished convent building, includes characters from 17th- and 18th-century theatre and opera, including jesters, devils, knights and satirical figures. Many of the puppets possess gruesome, contorted features that are unlikely to appeal to small children. The museum explains the history of the art form and runs videos of puppet shows. Check the website to see if a live performance is being held on the small stage. There is also a space for children’s entertainment and learning.
t Puppets from the collection at Museu da Marioneta
Experience Bairro Alto and Estrela
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stay As Janelas Verdes Romantic hotel located in a charming 18th-century townhouse, with stunning river views from the top rooms and library terrace. J8 ⌂ Rua das Janelas Verdes 47 ∑ asjanelasverdes.com ¡¡ ¡ Hotel do Chiado Part of architect Álvaro Siza Viera’s revamp of the Chiado district, this slick boutique hotel has a prime location and a rooftop bar. N7 ⌂ Rua Nova do Almada 114 ∑ hotelchiado.pt ¡¡ ¡ |
great View
This miradouro boasts a sweeping vista of eastern Portugal. A tiled map, placed against the balustrade, helps you locate the landmarks.The view is most attractive at sunset and by night, when the castle is floodlit and the terrace becomes a meeting point for young Lisboetas.
The Portuguese word solar means mansion or manor house, and the Solar do Vinho do Porto occupies the ground floor of an 18th-century mansion. The building was once owned by the German architect Johann Friedrich Ludwig (Ludovice), who built the monastery at Mafra. The port wine institute of Porto runs a pleasant bar here for the promotion of port. Nearly 200 types of port are listed in the lengthy drinks menu, with every producer represented and including some rarities. Unfortunately, many of the listed wines are often unavailable. All but the vintage ports are sold by the glass, with prices ranging from €1.50 for the simplest ruby to €13.30 for a glass of 40-year-old tawny.
Also known as the Assembleia da República, this massive white Neo-Classical building started life in the late 1500s as the Benedictine monastery of São Bento. After the dissolution of the religious orders in 1834, the building became the seat of parliament, known as the Palácio das Cortes. The interior is grand with marble pillars and Neo-Classical statues.
t Tree-shaded park at the heart of Praça do Príncipe Real
Originally laid out in 1860 as a prime residential neighbourhood, Praça do Príncipe Real still retains its charming air of affluence. Smartly painted mansions surround a park with a café, statuary and some splendid robinia, magnolia and Judas trees. The branches of a huge cedar tree have been trained on a trellis, creating a wide shady spot for the locals who play cards beneath it. On the large square, at No 26, the eye-catching white Neo-Moorish building with domes houses a shopping gallery.
Laid out in the middle of the 19th century, opposite the Basílica da Estrela, the popular gardens are a focal part of the Estrela quarter. Picturesque and serene, they provide an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the city. Local families congregate here at weekends to feed the carp and ducks in the lake, sit at the waterside café or wander among the flower beds, plants and trees. The formal gardens are planted with herbaceous borders and shrubs surrounding plane trees and elms. The central feature of the park is a green wrought-iron bandstand, decorated with elegant filigree, where musicians strike up in the summer months. The bandstand was built in 1884 and originally stood on the Passeio Público, before the creation of Avenida da Liberdade.
The English Cemetery to the north of the gardens is best known as the burial place of Henry Fielding (1707–54), the English novelist and playwright who died in Portugal at the age of 47. The Journal of a Voyage to Portugal, published posthumously in 1775, recounts his last voyage to Portugal, made in a fruitless attempt to recover his failing health.
t The wrought-iron bandstand at the centre of Jardim da Estrela
Experience Bairro Alto and Estrela
Exploding olives and acorn ice cream are some of the unusual offerings now found at Portugal’s innovative new restaurants. Spearheaded by the likes of José Avillez (right), creator of Belcanto, the first Portugal restaurant to earn two Michelin stars, contemporary Portuguese dining focuses on finding unexpected, top-quality local ingredients to lift traditional recipes into something unforgettable.
In the second half of the 18th century Maria I, daughter of José I, vowed she would build a church if she bore a son and heir to the throne. Her wish was granted and construction of the basilica began in 1779. Her son José, however, died of smallpox two years before the completion of the church in 1790.
The huge domed Basílica da Estrela, which is proudly set on a hill overlooking the west of the city, is one of Portugal’s most remarkable landmarks. A simpler version of the basilica at Mafra, this church was built by architects from the Mafra School in late-Baroque and Neo-Classical style. The façade is flanked by twin bell towers and decorated with an array of statues of saints and allegorical figures.
The spacious, awe-inspiring interior, where light streams down from the pierced dome, is clad in grey, pink and yellow marble. The elaborate Empire-style tomb of Queen Maria I, who died in Brazil, lies in the right transept. Locked in a room nearby is Machado de Castro’s extraordinary nativity scene, composed of over 500 cork-and-terracotta figures. To see it, ask the sacristan.
Be sure to climb the dome’s steep stone steps to access the flat roof above the Basílica, where you’ll find breathtaking views of the western city – and down into the church below.
t The Time Out Market’s cavernous food court, thronging with visitors
Portugal’s historic Mercado da Ribeira opened for business in 1930, and has served as the city’s main fruit and vegetable market ever since. It was rejuvenated in 2014, by incorporating the many food and drink stalls of the world’s first Time Out Market, which now occupy most of the cavernous central hall.
Stake your claim on one of the communal benches and sample the diverse array of produce on offer from some of Portugal’s best-known food outlets (including Henrique Sá Pessoa from Michelin-starred restaurant Alma). You can enjoy anything from burgers and sushi to fine cheeses, pastéis de nata and ice cream, while champagne bars and wine, beer or juice stalls cater to the thirsty.
There are further bars and restaurants around the outside of the market and on the first floor, which has a music venue for concerts. The concept has proved overwhelmingly successful – attracting over three million visitors a year – and Time Out has subsequently opened similar markets in the US.
Experience Bairro Alto and Estrela
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EAT A Brasileira The intellectuals who made this 1905 café famous are gone, but its Art Deco interior and bar filled with tempting pastries remain a draw. M6 ⌂ Rua Garrett 120 § 213 469 541 ¡ ¡¡ Páteo Occupying a covered patio inside a former monastery, this lovely space specializes in quality fish and seafood, prepared by chef José Avillez. M6 ⌂ Bairro do Avillez, 18 Rua Nova da Trindade 18 § 215 830 290 ¡¡ ¡ Cervejaria Trindade Famed for its beautiful azulejos, this 1830s beer hall serves tasty seafood and steak. M6 ⌂ Rua Nova da Trindade 20 § 213 423 506 ¡¡ ¡ |