The earthquake of 1755 definitely caused a lot of damage in the city of Lisbon, a fact that forced major reconstruction works in the capital of Portugal. The Arch of the Rua Augusta or Triumphal Arch of Lisbon, built as a bell tower in 1775, part of the emblematic works that the Marquis of Pombal entrusted as part of these reconstruction works. Continue reading “Arch of the Rua Augustus – Lisbon, Portugal”
The Parish Church of “Santa Marinha” is located in Vila Nova de Gaia across from Porto (Portugal) and a few steps from the banks of the Douro River. Baroque in style, it has a single nave inside and a single tower. Continue reading “Church of “Santa Marinha” – Vila Nova of Gaia, Portugal”
In the Chiado ward of Lisbon, we find the “Praça de Luís de Camões”. This square is dedicated to the great poets of Portugal, Luís de Camões being considered the greatest Portuguese writer and poet. Continue reading “Praça de Luís de Camões – Lisbon, Portugal”
The Hospital of the Catholic Kings in Santiago de Compostela, has 500 years of existence, and has since been converted into a hotel, it is considered the oldest in all of Spain. In 1954 it became a National “Parador” with a privileged location, facing the Obradoiro Plaza and next to the great Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Continue reading “Hospital of the Catholic Kings – Santiago de Compostela, Spain”
The Chapel of the Souls is located on “Rua de Santa Catarina” with its corner on “Rua de Fernandes Tomás”, barely a block away from the “Bolhão” Market in the “Santo Ildefonso” neighborhood in Porto, Portugal. Continue reading “Chapel of the Souls – Porto, Portugal”
During our visit to Porto, we could not miss the experience of visiting the wineries of the main wine houses. We crossed over the “Ponte Luis I” bridge towards the neighboring town, Vila Nova de Gaia. Curiously, in 1834 this municipality was created by merging the municipalities of Vila Nova (1288) and Gaia (1255), thus the Vila Nova de Gaia was born. Continue reading “Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal”
In our visit to Santiago de Compostela, we strolled many times through this square, without properly knowing its history. It turns out that the term or name “Plaza de Quintana” by definition is the “Plaza de la Plaza”. However, this square is actually composed of two sections, the Quintana de Abaixo or of the Dead and the Quintana de Arriba or the Plaza of the Living. Continue reading “The Quintana Square – Santigo de Compostela, Spain”
Due to the great degree of deterioration of the Chapel of “San Alifon”, in Porto, Portugal, the same was demolished in 1709, to build the Parish Church of “San Ildefonso”. Although the main structure of the new church was completed in 1730, it was not until 1739 that the construction of the bell towers we can observe on each side of the church that the building was finally completed. Continue reading “Church of “San Ildefonso” – Porto, Portugal”
Since ancient times and all throughout the world, temples and places of reflection have been built in the highest mountains, in order to be closer to their god or their gods. In Portugal, the “Bom Jesus do Monte” is a another clear example of this practice, repeating itself in several places in Portugal. Continue reading “Bom Jesus do Monte – Braga, Portugal”
The Santa Justa Elevator is the only one of Lisbon’s elevators configured vertically. Its function as a means of transport has declined to become an important tourist attraction. And we confirm that it is, essentially for the time it took us to make the line to enter the elevator and finally climb. Continue reading “The “Santa Justa” Elevator – Lisbon, Portugal”