4/5 RGSOUNDF 4 years ago on Google
To
rate
Praça
do
Comércio
is
like
to
rate
the
Eiffel
Tower
in
Paris,
for
both,
in
a
way,
are
more
than
emblematic
to
the
image
of
a
city.
Praça
do
Comércio
is
one
of
the
very
familiar
and
common
images
that
come
to
mind
when
Lisbon
is
mentioned,
along
with
the
old
neighborhoods
of
Alfama
and
Mouraria,
tramways,
and
Rossio
Square.
Our
personal
impression
of
the
majestic
square
wasn't
that
of
utter
excitement.
The
design
of
the
square
is
a
"forced"
one,
meaning
that
the
overall
layout
that
has
been
progressing
throughout
centuries
is
gone,
razed
to
the
ground
by
the
1775
earthquake.
In
the
absence
of
the
magnificent
Ribeira
Palace
and
other
important
buildings
such
as
Casa
da
Índia,
the
square
feels
too
gigantic
and
too
deserted.
The
images
of
the
pre-1775
square
can
be
found
through
reproductions
of
the
contemporary
engravings
from
XVIIth
and
XVIIIth
centuries,
and
on
the
modern
ceramic
tile
mural
("azulejos")
at
the
Miradouro
de
Santa
Luzia,
in
Alfama.
To
our
taste,
the
sheer
enormous
scale
of
the
landmark
just
doesn't
feel
as
warm
or
inviting
as
several
other
squares
in
Lisbon,
and
even
less
"human"
than,
say,
the
nearby
Praça
do
Município.
The
central
piece
of
the
square,
the
horse
statue
of
José
I
de
Portugal,
the
king
of
Portugal,
on
whose
watch
the
earthquake
happened
and
whose
efforts
initiated
the
massive
rebuilding
of
the
city,
is
very
interesting.
Note
an
elephant
on
the
eastern
side
of
the
pedestal.
Elephants
served
as
a
symbol
of
the
great
overseas
discoveries
of
the
Portuguese
empire,
with
some
of
them
remaining
forever
in
history
(one,
Hanno,
was
gifted
in
1514
to
Pope
Leo
X,
and
the
other,
Suleiman,
was
sent
to
the
Holy
Roman
Emperor
Maximilian
II,
37
years
later).
The
latter
served
as
a
"hero"
of
the
2008
book
The
Elephant
Journey,
by
the
greatest
Portuguese
modern
writer
José
Saramago,
the
winner
of
the
Nobel
Prize
in
literature.
A
stylized
elephant
footprint
can
be
seen
today
by
José
Saramago's
foundation,
less
than
5
minutes'
walk
from
Praça
do
Comércio.
At
the
northern
side
of
the
square,
Arco
da
Rua
Augusta
shouldn't
be
missed.
Even
though,
strictly
speaking,
not
being
a
part
of
Praça
do
Comércio,
Cais
das
Colunas,
a
small
riverfront
pier
with
two
columns,
or
pillars,
and
marble
steps,
usually
half-covered
by
water,
served
as
the
noble
entrance
into
the
city,
through
which
kings,
queens,
heads
of
state
and
other
official
"celebrities"
have
arrived.
The
site
definitely
merits
a
quick
stop.
At
the
western
side
of
the
square,
the
corner
of
Praça
do
Comércio
and
Rua
do
Arsenal,
look
up
to
discover
a
plaque
commemorating
the
assassination
of
Carlos
I,
the
44
year-old
King
of
Portugal,
who
was
killed
by
terrorists
at
this
spot,
together
with
his
20
year-old
heir
apparent,
Luís
Filipe,
Prince
Royal
of
Portugal.
Of
course,
all
around
the
square,
under
the
arcades,
there
are
cafes,
restaurants,
wine
cellars,
tourist
and
visitors
centers,
sightseeing
companies
outposts,
etc.
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