Praça do Comércio

Coordinates: 38°42′27″N 9°8′11″W / 38.70750°N 9.13639°W / 38.70750; -9.13639
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Praça do Comércio
Terreiro do Paço
Plaza
São Nicolau
)

The Praça do Comércio (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpɾasɐ ðu kuˈmɛɾsju]; transl. Commerce Plaza) is a large, harbour-facing plaza in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, and is one of the largest in Portugal, with an area of 175 by 175 m (574 by 574 ft), that is, 30,600 m2 (329,000 ft2).

Facing the

subway station
located there is still named after the old name of the plaza).

After the earthquake, the plaza was completely remodeled as part of the rebuilding of the

Portuguese King José I.[2]
From the 19th century onwards, Praça do Comércio became the seat of some of the most important Portuguese state departments, including the Ministries of
War and Navy Ministries, as well as the old Ministry of Colonies (up to 1967), and thus also became a methonym for the Portuguese central government. Also housed there is the Supreme Court
. In June 1910, just a few months before the
National Monument of Portugal.[2][3]

History

Machado de Castro
(1775). The king on his horse is symbolically crushing snakes on his path.
Terreiro do Paço in 1575
Terreiro do Paço in 1662, by Dirk Stoop
Praça do Comércio, 2019

Urban development of the banks of the Tagus river (the Ribeira) was given firm impulse in the early 16th century, when King Manuel I built a new royal residence – the Ribeira Palace – by the river, outside the city walls. The area was further developed with the building of a port, shipbuilding facilities (the Ribeira das Naus), the Casa da Índia and other administrative buildings that regulated the commerce between Portugal and other parts of Europe and its colonies in Africa, Asia and the Americas.

On 1 November 1755, during the reign of

Marquis of Pombal, coordinated a massive rebuilding effort led by Portuguese architect Eugénio dos Santos. He designed a large, rectangular square in the shape of a "U", open towards the Tagus.[2] The buildings have galleries on their ground floors, and the arms of the "U" end in two large towers, reminiscent of the monumental tower of the destroyed Ribeira Palace, still vivid in the architectural memory of the city. His plan was realised almost completely, although decorative details were changed and the east tower of the square and the Augusta Street Arch were only finished in the 19th century.[3] This triumphal arch was designed by the Portuguese architect Santos de Carvalho and was completed in 1873. The top section includes statues representing important Portuguese figures such as Vasco da Gama and the Marquis of Pombal.[4]

The square was named Praça do Comércio, the Square of Commerce, to indicate its new function in the economy of Lisbon. The symmetrical buildings of the square were filled with government bureaux regulating customs and port activities. The centrepiece of the ensemble was the equestrian statue of King José I, inaugurated in 1775 in the centre of the square. This bronze statue, the first monumental statue dedicated to a king in Lisbon, was designed by Joaquim Machado de Castro, Portugal's foremost sculptor of the time.[3]

Lisbon Arco Triunfal da Rua Augusta panoramic view from Praça do Comércio
Areas covered by arches at both sides of the square include vendors, restaurants and offices

Opening towards Augusta Street, which links the square with the other traditional Lisbon square, the

Viriatus, Nuno Álvares Pereira, Vasco da Gama and, of course, the Marquis of Pombal.[3]

On 1 February 1908, the square was the scene of the

overthrew the Portuguese monarchy
.

The wealth of Portugal was channeled through this plaza and port. It serves as not only a transportation hub but also as a hub for commercial businesses, having two main directions of travel, west and south. The northern side tram leads to the district of Belem and the southern port is a ferry that goes across the River Tagus.

The destruction of the palace led to the loss of the greatest archive of Portuguese literature. The library housed over 200,000 books. The reconstruction took around a century to go from plans to finished construction.

View from the São Jorge Castle, including the Praça do Comércio

At the southern end of the plaza at the water's edge was a grand marble staircase meant for the arrival of royal dignitaries.[6] These steps date to before the 1755 earthquake and would have led straight into the royal palace.

On June 10, the day of Portugal, the plaza is full of military and residents who celebrate the day.[7]

The plaza is home to the oldest café in the city, Martinho da Arcada (established 1782). It also houses the monumental Pousada Hotel.[8]

Praça do Comércio 2017

The western tower of the square (where once stood the Navy and the Colonies Ministries), houses the Baixa's location of the Museum of Lisbon.

See also

References

  1. ^ Itinerario Lisbonense (in Portuguese). 1818 [1804].
  2. ^ a b c d "Praça do Comércio". patrimoniocultural.gov.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Commerce Square". www.monumentos.gov.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  4. ^ https://www.lisbon.net/commerce-square, Commerce Square
  5. ISBN 978-1-78914-125-2
    .
  6. ^ "The Praça do Comercio, Lisbon". lisbonlisboaportugal.com.
  7. ^ Correio da Manhã, Commerce Square Full For June 10, Lisbon June 10th 2016, 1.
  8. ^ "PRAÇA DO COMÉRCIO, Lisboa | Terreiro do Paço". Archived from the original on 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  • França, José-Augusto (1980). Lisboa: Arquitectura e Urbanismo. Biblioteca Breve (in Portuguese). Instituto de Cultura e Língua Portuguesa (ICALP).

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Praça do Comércio.

38°42′27″N 9°8′11″W / 38.70750°N 9.13639°W / 38.70750; -9.13639

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