Arco da Rua Augusta
The Arco da Rua Augusta (also Arco do Triunfo ) is a triumphal arch in the center of the Portuguese capital Lisbon . It is located on the north side of Praça do Comércio and forms the beginning of Rua Augusta , the central axis of the Baixa Pombalina .
history
It was built in the course of the re-planning of the Baixa Pombalina after the earthquake of 1755 . A first draft was realized from 1775. It is not known whether it was completed. Queen Maria I had it demolished in 1777 after her accession to the throne and the resignation of the Marquês de Pombal .
Only in 1873 was the idea of a triumphal arch taken up again under the architect Veríssimo José da Costa . The work was completed in 1875.
description
In the upper area of the arch there are sculptures by Célestin Anatole Calmels . They show the goddess Gloria , the genius and the crowning worth. On a level below, sculptures by Vitor Bastos depict the historical figures Nuno Álvares Pereira , Viriato , Vasco da Gama and Marquês de Pombal .
The inscription goes back to the time of the Portuguese discoveries: VIRTVTIBVS MAIORVM VT SIT OMNIBVS DOCVMENTO. P (ecunia) P (ublica) D (edicatus) (The virtues of the ancestors, that it may serve as a testimony to all. Dedicated at public expense)
Web links
- Arco da Rua Augusta in the Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico (Portuguese)
Coordinates: 38 ° 42 ′ 30.2 " N , 9 ° 8 ′ 12.5" W.