Praça da Figueira
| Praça da Figueira | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 The da Praça Figueira from Castelo de São Jorge seen |
|
| Basic data | |
| place | Lisbon |
The Praça da Figueira [ ˈpɾasɐ dɐ fiˈɡɐi̯ɾɐ ] ( Eng . Square of the Fig Tree ) is a large square in downtown Lisbon . The Praça da Figueira , along with the Praça do Comércio and the Rossio, is one of the three most important squares within the Baixa Pombalina , the area that was newly built due to the earthquake of 1755 .
The square did not exist until the 16th century, when the Real de Todos os Santos ( Royal All Saints Hospital ), the largest of its kind in the Portuguese capital , stood on most of the area . After the devastating earthquake of 1755, the hospital was badly damaged, so that the Lisbon city government decided to demolish it.
In the following years, a large open space was created, which was mainly used by the weekly markets. Around 1885 a large, covered market hall with an area of around 8000 m² was built on the area of the square. The hall existed until 1949, after which it was demolished, so that the square known today was created.
In 1971 the city government honored João I of Portugal with a bronze statue designed by Leopoldo de Almeida . The side of the statue two medallions are attached to both Nuno Alvares Pereira and João das Regras show both helped João I to power, which in turn is generally regarded as "defenders of the fatherland", as it was in the Revolution of 1383 , the pro- Castilian interim ruler Leonore Teles de Menezes overthrew.
During the last renovation of the square in 1999/2000, the statue was moved from the center of the square to the southwest corner in order to make it visible from the Praça do Comércio . The square itself is very homogeneous, surrounded by several four-story buildings with many hotels, cafes and shops. The Praça da Figueira is also an important transportation hub between the tram ( ring line 12E and 15E line of Belém ), the metro ( Rossio metro station ) and numerous bus lines.
Web links
- History of Praça da Figueira on the homepage of the Lisbon City Chamber (Portuguese)
- Blog about Praça da Figueira with numerous old photos of the square (Portuguese)
Coordinates: 38 ° 42 ′ 49.5 " N , 9 ° 8 ′ 16.3" W.