The sun, the ocean, port, sailors, pirates and football - such an associative line is built at the mention of this country and its main, the oldest in Europe city and capital of Portugal. Photos of Lisbon and its attractions are presented in the article.
Geography
Lisbon is located on seven hills along the Tagus River and is the most western capital city of Europe, further only the Atlantic Ocean. They say that in reality there are more hills, but you can not argue with legends.
The port of Lisbon is one of the main ports of the Atlantic, which has been operating since the 15th century. During the year, the port serves more than 3.5 thousand vessels.
History
The first millennium BC - this period is considered the beginning of the birth of the city, on the territory of which the Celts lived and engaged in trade Phoenicians. Who came in the VI century BC. e. the Greeks changed the name given by the Phoenicians to the settlement of Allis Ubbo to Ollisipon, which can conditionally be considered the former capital of Portugal.
In the IV-III centuries BC. e. here settled the Lusitans conquered by Rome in the II century BC. e. In the 1st century BC e. Ollissipo became part of the Roman province of Lusitania. Christianity is proclaimed the main religion, and Potamius is the first bishop. This period was the heyday of the city. Fortress walls were erected around the city, inside - a theater, baths, temples dedicated to the gods. The trade in wine, salt, and garum fish sauce was in full swing.
The collapse of the Roman Empire after 409 A.D. e. laid the foundation for the raids of the barbarians. In 585, the Germans who occupied the city called it Ulisbon. In 711, the Arabs came. In 868, during the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by Christians (Reconquista), the county of Portugal was formed, which in 1143 became an independent kingdom. And the capital of Portugal, Lisbon got its name in 1225.
The 16th century became gold in the literal sense - a precious metal flowing in a generous stream from colonized Brazil. Over 100 years, 1,000 tons of gold and 3 million carats of diamonds have been mined.
In the years 1580-1640, Portugal was under the rule of Spain, but in the end managed to gain independence. The earthquake, tsunami and fire of 1755 destroyed the city, which was later restored.
Lisbon is not bypassed by Napoleon’s army at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1910, a monarchy was overthrown in the country and Portugal was declared a republic.
sights
The rich history of the country, where residential buildings can be assigned the status of an architectural monument without hesitation, has created the image of the city - the capital of Portugal. Medieval buildings and the latest buildings - there is everything from traces of pterodactyl to modern galleries. On the first Sunday of the month, the state museums of Lisbon can be visited absolutely free.
Castle of St. George
The iconic fortress of the Portuguese capital Lisbon rises on a high hill and is visible from anywhere in the city. This fortification has been in service since the Roman era. It was completed and rebuilt by Arabs, crusaders. At first, the fortress was called Cerca Fernandina. At the end of the XIV century, the castle was named after St. George, the patron saint of knights.
The walls of the palace saw the weddings of the monarchs, royal receptions, there was an archive with important documentation. Later, the fortress lost its significance and was destroyed by several earthquakes. Today, some of the surviving fragments fit into the architecture of the city, part has become the basis for new structures.
The reward for a long climb through the narrow streets will be a magnificent view from the heights of the city and the river, and peacocks wandering lazily among the walls will become companions in the walk.
Torri di belen
Torri di Belen Castle was erected on the right side of the Tagus River. This tower was built in 1521 in connection with the opening of the sea route to India. The main function is to protect against attacks by filibusters and troops from neighboring states. The convenient location in front of the harbor entrance was an ideal point for firing at the enemy. It was also used as a powder warehouse, a place of detention for prisoners, a lighthouse and a customs point. For modern Portugal, Torri di Belen is a symbol of the city and a reminder of the contribution of the sailors' ancestors to the discovery and exploration of new lands.
A curious story connected the construction of the tower. In 1514, the Portuguese King Manuel I was presented with a gift from the Indian Sultan of Gugerat, a two-ton rhino. After an unsuccessful attempt to organize a battle with an elephant who refused to participate in this event, a rhino in a collar of green velvet was sent as a presentation to the pope. Unfortunately, the ship did not cope with the natural elements and sank off the coast of Genoa. The figure of the rhino is still a support for one of the towers of the castle.
Nowadays, Torri di Belen is an object of cultural heritage and is open to all comers.
Cathedral
In Portuguese, the cathedral simply sounds like Sé, from the Latin Sedis Patriarchal. According to archaeologists, in this place there was a Roman temple, which in the IV-V centuries became a Christian church, which was later destroyed for the construction of a mosque.
The mosque also did not last very long, in 1150 a new temple was built in its place with a fortress for Christians. He became the basis for the cathedral in the form in which it exists today. In its appearance, changes were made both by nature, with the help of natural disasters, and by the masters in the period of Baroque, Rococo, Gothic and neoclassicism, by adding elements corresponding to the era.
Visitors to the cathedral will be interested to see the collection of the treasury, which is presented in the south tower.
According to legend, the patron saint of the capital of Portugal, St. Antonio, was baptized in Lisbon Cathedral . Nowadays, every year on the feast of St. Antonio, the city authorities choose twelve couples to get married in this temple and pay all expenses from the city budget.
Jerome Monastery in Belem
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery was built on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital of Santa Maria di Belen in the 16th century as a thanks to the Virgin Mary for the expedition of Vasco da Gama to India. The construction was completed by 1600, after which the monks of the Order of St. Jerome were placed here, offering prayers for all sailors.
Kings Manuel I and Juan III, the legendary traveler Vasco da Gama and poet Fernando Pessoa are buried in this place.
In the western part are the Maritime and National Archaeological Museums.
Statue of christ
The statue with outstretched arms, 28 meters high, is located on the banks of the Tagus River on a 75-meter base, mounted on a cliff (113 meters above sea level). The object is perfectly visible from anywhere in the city. This is a full-fledged complex, which, in addition to the monument, includes the chapels of the Holy Virgin Mary and Jesus' Nappersniki, a library, and exhibition areas.
The statue of Christ was built over ten years (from 1949 to 1959) with donations from Portuguese women whose fathers, husbands and sons were spared the need to take part in World War II.
In one of the columns of the pedestal is a lifting device for delivering people to the observation deck, from which the whole of Lisbon is open at a glance. Today, the statue of Christ is placed on all photos of Lisbon (the capital of Portugal). The object has rightfully become one of the main symbols of the city.
Vasco da Gama Bridge
The longest bridge in Europe (over 17 kilometers) across the Tagus was built in the capital of Portugal. This happened in 1998 for the world exhibition Expo 98 and is timed to the 500th anniversary of the opening of the sea route to India.
When planning and erecting the bridge, many technical nuances were taken into account, due to which the design is able to withstand even in the event of an earthquake of maximum power.
National Museum of Ancient Art
The works of Bosch, Dürer, Raphael, Riber, Velazquez, Francisco de Zurbaran and other famous painters can be seen at the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon, which presents a collection of significant art works of Portugal and Europe from the XIV to the beginning of the XIX century.
The gallery of the museum is constantly replenished at the expense of patrons: in the list of donors: Queen Carlotta Zhuakina and oil tycoon Galust Gyulbenkyan. To date, funds have more than two thousand works of art.
National Costume and Fashion Museum
The history of costume, men's, children's clothing and women's dresses can be traced to the National Museum of Costume and Fashion, which opened its doors in 1977. Today he is recognized as one of the best in Europe. The collection consists of 40 thousand exhibits - original things of all types of different eras, from the 17th century to the present. Behind the museum lies a botanical garden, which will be a pleasant addition to a visit to the museum.
Pena Palace
The original idea of the palace in a pseudo-medieval style occurred to Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who brought it to life in 1840 (already in the status of King Ferdinand II) and used it as a summer royal residence. The architectural style of the castle is a bizarre mix of Gothic, Renaissance architecture with oriental domes and minarets. The terraces and turrets of the palace offer leisurely walks.
Monument to Dr. Souza Martins
Around the monument to Dr. Souza Martins there is always a large number of flowers and tablets with thank-you notes. A talented, enthusiastic doctor, he spent his whole life looking for a cure for tuberculosis and treating patients, not dividing them into rich and poor. Ironically, he contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 54, committing suicide. After his death, the authorities decided to open a tuberculosis hospital.
Alafama District
You can go back a couple of centuries ago by visiting one of the oldest quarters of the city called Alfama, presumably from the Arabic al-hamma ("baths", "sources"). Back in the 16th century, baths with waters from thermal springs functioned in this area, which were used not only for water supply, but also for medicinal purposes.
Alfama occupies the foot of two hills, in the area there are: the Cathedral, the castle of St. George, the church of St. Stephen and St. Vicente.
In addition to the proposed, the capital of Portugal has many other interesting places: the Marquise Pombal Square, the Restorers Square, the observation deck of Monte Agudo in the area of São Jorge di Arroios, the National Museum of the Carriages, the Church of St. Vincent, the Turel Garden. Therefore, the choice of a country for a traveler who appreciates beauty in all its manifestations is obvious.