Day 3      8/10/2023

Portugal - Lisbon

Frank's Trip

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Slow Day - Tired Day ...

If the maid hadn't awakened me at 2:30 PM I might have just kept sleeping. So, slow start on the day. Totally exhausted before I began. So I decided to make it a light day which took a lot more time than I thought. I waited so, so long at Saint Anthony's Church to be able to shoot pictures - they seem to have very long services.

Still it was a nice and interesting day and I did end up seeing a number of places.

Lisbon Cathedral

Once inside, we'll find a temple that, in the midst of its austere character, has some decorative elements such as the fountain in which Saint Anthony of Padua was baptized, some 14th-century sarcophagi, and a striking 14th-century Gothic chapel.

Admittedly the cathedral was severely damaged after the major 1755 earthquake, but it has been properly renovated over the years and was designated a National Monument in 1910.

Church of Saint Anthony

The Saint Antonio Church was originally constructed in 1707 on the site said to be where Saint Anthony was born in 1195. Later a small chapel was built on the site and then in 1730 it was rebuilt under King John V. Following damage from the 1755 earthquake it was reconstructed in 1769. The church has the most magnificent baroque gilded woodwork, a high ceiling and beautiful side chapels. There is a crypt which marks the spot where the saint was born. The walls feature 18th century blue and white azulejo hand-painted ceramic tile panels. The church has a wooden vaulted ceiling which has been painted to look like a barrel-vaulted ceiling. It is covered in brightly colored intricate paintings.

The church altar holds a statue of Saint Antony holding baby Jesus and on either side of him stand angels carrying torches. There is also a rare statue of Saint Elói, the patron saint of goldsmiths. The church gained prestige when it was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1982. The Pope inaugurated a statue of St. Antonio by Soares Branco. The statue stands in the courtyard in front of the church. Each year on June 13th a procession walks from the church, past the Lisbon Cathedral and through Alfama and it is traditional on this day to give bread to the elderly women of the community.

Videos: Saint Anthony's Church

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Cais das Colunas

Cais das Colunas is located at Praça do Comércio, in the historical center of Lisbon; its marble steps used to be the noble entrance into the city, through which heads of state and other prominent figures have arrived. It used to give access to ferry boats and other vessels connecting Praça do Comércio to the Tagus' south bank.

The pier was named after the two columns (colunas) that can be seen on the sides of the main steps. These simple yet elegant pillars were designed by architect Eugénio dos Santos and were part of the city reconstruction plan after the 1755 earthquake nearly destroyed it. The two columns are replicas of those thought to have been in Solomon's temple. They're representative of wisdom and devotion.

Praca de Commercio / Commerce Square

Lisbon's most important square: the Praça do Comércio was built on the site where the old Royal Palace used to exist before it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. The southern end of the plaza is open and looks out onto the Tagus River. The other three sides have yellow-colored buildings with arches all along the façade. When the square was first built, the commercial ships would unload their goods directly onto this square, as it was considered the “door” to Lisbon. On the North side of the square is the Rua Agusta Arch.

Equestrian Statue of Joseph I
King of Portugal at time of great earthquake - 1755

Arco do Rue Agusta / Rua Augusta Arch

Located on the north side of Commerce Square is the Rua Augusta Arch which gives way to the boulevard Rua Augusta, the most prominent boulevard in Baixa. This triumphal arch was designed to celebrate the reconstruction of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake. It was completed in 1873. On top of its several pillars, it's adorned with numerous statues that represent important Portuguese figures like Vasco da Gama and the Marquis of Pombal.

Praça dos Restauradores / Restaurant Square

This large square honors the men responsible for the restoration of the Portuguese crown in 1640, after 60 years of the Iberian Union (when Portugal and Spain shared the same king). At the center is a monumental 98 foot high obelisk from 1886 with two bronze figures on the pedestal depicting Victory and Freedom.

Surrounding buildings include: Eden Cinema (now serving as an aparthotel) built in 1929, it is considered an Art Deco marvel; Foz Palace (18th-century), the former residence of the Marquis of Foz, now housing a national tourism office, the tourist police, and the National Sports Museum.