Walking around: unique Lisbon Baixa area, despotic Marquis of Pombal & scissors-grinders
The Baixa Pombalina is an elegant district, with beautiful buildings. The area is primarily constructed after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. It takes its name from Marquis of Pombal, the Prime Minister to Joseph I of Portugal from 1750 to 1777. Pombal, who kept calm during and after the big earthquake in 1755, renovated the city. He had a reputation of a clever despotic.
Praça do Comércio: friendly policemen show the right way to visitors.
Near Square Praça do Comércio (follow Rua do Arsenal) is Lisbon’s City Hall (Câmara Municipal), on Praça do Municipao. Visitors can admire the interior on Sunday mornings. The building, with a Neo-Classical facade, was built in 1774 but was completely burned down in 1863. In 1875 the current building was completed.
Baxia: Rua da Conceiçao, with unique buildings and….
…..also unique: in Lisbon there’s still a few proffesional scissors-grinders.
Baixa area comprises the grid of streets north of the Praça do Comércio, roughly between the Cais do Sodré and the Alfama district beneath the Lisbon Castle ‘Saint George (São Jorge) and extends northwards towards the Rossio- and Figueira squares and the Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue)
Rua Nova de Almada, close to Rua Garret, Lisbons’ famous (shopping) street.
Besides: Marquis de Pombals’ statue is on Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue), on the night of June 12 (no cars!), awaiting the famous yearly Santo Antionio costume Parade. All the clubs and associations of Lisbons’ neighbourhoods descend on Avenida da Liberdade to compete for the best parade, music, costume and choreography.