This is the third (of 3) posts about one day in Lisbon. You might be starting to see why we needed a much longer visit! Next time …

Praça do Comércio

Lisbon’s Praça do Comércio was the site of the Royal Palace until the 1755 earthquake. Today it is a grand square, surrounded by distinctive yellow Pombaline styled buildings on 3 sides, the fourth faces the Tagus River. After the earthquake, King Jose I engaged the Prime Minister, the Marquês de Pombal to rebuild the city.

A large equestrian statue in the centre of the square depicts King Jose, looking out to sea, where all the riches of the world poured in. Pombal is on a medallion at the front of the plinth. An elephant represents the country’s vast colonial empire. The horse is trampling several snakes, symbolising Portugal’s triumph over its enemies.

The square is dominated by the 30m tall triumphal Arco da Rua Augusta, built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. On top of the arch stands “Lady Glory”, who represents Portugal as a world power, crowning two statues at her feet depicting “Valour” and “Genius”. On either side of the arch are two river gods – the Tagus on one side, and the Douro on the other, holding a bunch of grapes.

The four men depicted on the face of the arch are (from left to right): Viriatus, leader of the Lusitanian people, pre-Roman inhabitants of Portugal; Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea; the Marquês de Pombal; and Nuno Álvares Pereira, general who liberated Portugal from foreign rule in the 1300s.

Praça da Figueira

Praça da Figueira is one of the main squares in Lisbon, and is a major transport hub. It is part of the downtown area reconstructed after the 1755 earthquake. Originally it was the site of Lisbon’s main hospital which was destroyed. by earthquake, tsunami and fire. It was replaced by a large open air market, and later a huge covered market was built in 1885. This was demolished in 1949, and the open square that exists today was created.

The name Praça da Figueira means Fig Tree Square, but there is no record of any fig trees ever existing there.

The bronze statue of King John I was only erected in 1971, but designed to look like it was part of the original Pombaline square. John was King of Portugal from 1385 to 1433. His 48 year reign, the longest of all Portuguese monarchs, saw the beginning of Portugal’s overseas expansion.

Confeitaria Nacional

By now we were getting a bit peckish, and it has been several hours since our last stop for Pastel de Nata. We spotted a nice cafe in and headed in. It turned out to be quite an iconic spot. Confeitaria Nacional was founded in 1829 and is still run by the descendents of the original owner. The traditional Portuguese Christmas cake, Bolo Rei, was brought from the south of France to Portugal, by the son of the founder of Confeitaria Nacional in the 19th century. They are famous for their elegant interiors and delicious pastries, so of course we had to stop to enjoy some.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha

The impressive door of the Old Church of Our Lady of the Conception (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha) is all that remains of what was once the second largest church in Lisbon (after Jerónimos Monastery). Built in around 1500, it was almost completely destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. Only the original portal remains. The Manueline decoration on the portal features the Virgin Mary supported by angels and flanked by various important figures, including King Manuel and his sister Queen Leonor. In typical Manueline style, there are carved representations of armillary spheres, ropes, plants, animals and the multiple pillars, arches and recessed layers. The interior was reconstructed in the 18th century, reusing some materials salvaged after the earthquake.