Michael Powell's Blog, page 22
January 22, 2018
The Church and Museum of São Roque
Just around the corner from the Miradouro de São António is the Igreja de São Roque. You’d never guess from its plain facade, but this is considered to be among the city’s most beautiful churches. Next to the church, in a former Jesuit residence, is a small but excellent museum of religious artifacts.
The São Roque dates from the beginning of the 16th century, when Lisbon was at the mercy of the plague. Because the veneration of Saint Roch was believed to stave off the illness, King Manuel I...
January 14, 2018
The Ascensor da Glória and Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
Connecting the Praça dos Restauradores to the Bairro Alto, the Ascensor da Glória has been in operation since 1885. We took a ride to the top, where we checked out the views from the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, one of the most popular viewpoints in the city.
The Ascensor da Glória was the second funicular we discovered, after having ridden on the Ascensor da Lavra the week prior. Unwittingly, we were visiting them in the order of their construction; Lavra is the oldest, and Glória w...
January 9, 2018
Boas Festas, Lisbon!
As the world continues to get smaller, certain holiday traditions have come to be shared. For example, it doesn’t matter if you’re in Ohio or Serbia, kids are going to recognize Santa Claus. But there are still differences in most cultures, and we always enjoy learning about them. So what are the holidays in Lisbon like?
Christmas in Portugal is a time for families to gather together, and children are expected to return home regardless of how far away they might live. This might explain the...
January 6, 2018
Christmas Eve at the Cristo Rei
What is it that Christians are supposed to ask themselves? Ah yes… “what would Jesus do?” Well, if Jesus were alive in Lisbon on Christmas Eve, he’d definitely visit the huge statue of himself in Almada. How could he resist? I bet he’d even take a selfie, posing with his arms up in front of his own likeness. Jesus is so meta.
Jürgen and I will never be accused of having an excessive love for Jesus, but we appreciate a giant statue as much as the next guy. So, with nothing better to do on Chr...
January 3, 2018
A Christmas Gala at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art
The Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre is one of just a few institutions worldwide which aim to preserve the art of classical dressage. Once a month, the school’s riders perform for the public in Belém. We were invited to attend the Christmas Gala.
Historically, the school has been located at the Queluz National Palace, twenty kilometers outside the city, but it’s recently moved to Belém, near the Ajuda Palace. Although the school in its current form was established in 1979, it has a history...
January 2, 2018
The Museu do Aljube
Situated adjacent to the city cathedral, the Aljube was a notorious political prison during the dictatorship of Juan Antonio Salazar. Today, it’s been converted into an excellent museum about the struggle against fascism and colonialism.
It’s hard to believe, but until relatively recently, Portugal was under the thumb of the world’s longest-lasting dictatorship. António de Oliveira Salazar ruled the country with an iron fist between 1932 and 1968. A former economist, Salazar didn’t seem to f...
January 1, 2018
The Aqueduct of Águas Livres
Built in the mid 1700s, the Aqueduct das Águas Livres soars 65 meters above the Alcantâra Valley. Today, the waters have stopped running, and the aqueduct has been opened to tourism. For a small fee, you can walk all the way across.
Despite being located at the mouth of the Iberian Peninsula’s longest river, the Tagus, a viable source of drinking water had always been a problem for Lisbon. The construction of this aqueduct, ordered by José I, the Reformer King, helped bring fresh spring wate...
December 29, 2017
The Remains of the Convento do Carmo
One of the oldest structures in Lisbon, the Convento do Carmo was completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. Well… almost completely destroyed. The roof collapsed, but a handful of the supporting arches survived, along with some chambers. Today, the ruined remains of the church have been preserved as a striking memorial to the biggest natural disaster in Portuguese history.
After the earthquake, the city drafted plans to rebuild the Convento do Carmo. But this was a turbulent period in...
December 27, 2017
The Santa Justa Lift
One of the most photographed sights in Lisbon is the Santa Justa Lift, connecting Baixa to the Bairro Alto. Built at the turn of the 20th century, this eye-catching Gothic elevator is still in use, although it’s currently more for tourists than for locals.
We had been told that the Santa Justa Lift was designed by an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, which made so much sense that we should’ve known it probably wasn’t true. Actually, despite how widespread the story has become, there’s no record...
December 23, 2017
The Feira do Relogio
Held every Sunday in the district of Marvila, somewhat near the airport, the Feira do Relogio is Lisbon’s biggest market. With mostly clothes and food on offer, this is shopping for locals, and not the kind of flea market where you’re going to find charming old antiques. But if you want to see a different, boisterous side of Lisboan life, it’s great fun.
For us, the Feira do Relogio served as a counterpoint to the upscale shopping wonderland of Chiado which we had explored in-depth the day b...
