Discovering The Triumphal Arch of Praça do Comércio
March 11, 2020 getLISBON

Situated in one of the most beautiful squares of the world, the Triumphal Arch of Praça do Comércio, most commonly known as Rua Augusta Arch, is the monumental gate that connects Lisbon to Tagus river.The construction process of this Triumphal Arch, the emblematic finishing element of the buildings that constitute the former Terreiro do Paço, was long and certainly not controversy-free.Supported by grandiose columns it is topped by a set of sculptures that carries a lot of meaning.Today it is one of the tourist attractions of the city and a must-visit place for the Portuguese as well as for foreigners,…

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Discovering Traces of the Trinas Case in the Prazeres Cemetery
March 4, 2020 getLISBON

Sarah Mattos is the protagonist’s name of the Trinas case, a dramatic event that shocked the population of Lisbon in the last decade of the 1800s.With time, this case sank into oblivion but its symbolic tomb in the Prazeres Cemetery perpetuates this timeless story. During a visit to the historic cemetery this tomb caught our attention due to its symbolic representations and the strong message engraved on it.Who was Sarah Mattos? And what happened? The Trinas Case The tragic story of Sarah Mattos, that became known as the Trinas Case, took place in the Convent of Our Lady of Sorrows,…

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History Fado, a Sonority of Lisbon
November 27, 2019 getLISBON

Fado and saudade are the two most difficult words to translate from Portuguese, if not impossible. But perhaps we can make it easier to understand if we say that fado is related with destiny and saudade with nostalgia and sadness caused by the absence of something in time or in space.These definitions of such complex feelings are the most common topics in fado, the music that is sung accompanied by a classical guitar and a Portuguese guitar and that in November 2011 was inscribed by UNESCO on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.With an obscure origin, but surely…

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History Stone Caravels, Do You Know Their Meaning?
September 25, 2019 getLISBON

Let’s talk about the stone caravels that we find engraved on old façades or on drinking fountains mostly situated in the oldest areas of Lisbon.In the Portuguese capital we’re frequently confronted with images of boats in different places: on cast iron street lights and sewer covers, or in the Portuguese pavement, in tiles, in brand logos…It’s no surprise! As we’ve said previously in the article The Symbol of the City of Lisbon, the boat with crows is part of the heraldic representation of the city.But what’s its meaning and what is the explanation for the existence of different boats carved…

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History The Symbol of the City of Lisbon
September 11, 2019 getLISBON

When strolling around the streets of the capital, everywhere we go we can find representations of a boat with two birds facing each other. This is the symbol of the city of Lisbon – a small boat with two crows – the main element of the city’s heraldic representation.When thinking of boats we immediately associate them with the river that surrounds Lisbon and the sea that connects it to the world.The relationship between the city and the Tagus River is strong. If the river didn’t exist, the city of Lisbon probably wouldn’t either. Its strategic location as well as its…

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