A monument to Lisbon's rebirth
Like the Champs-Elysees and other great European boulevards, Lisbon's
Avenida da
Liberdade ends at a large roundabout and a monument.
This is the monument
to the Marquis of Pombal, the prime minister responsible for the rebuilding of Lisbon
following the Great Earthquake in 1755, showing him standing on a column with his
hand on a lion (symbol of power) and his eyes directed to the downtown area
that he rebuilt.
The base is decorated with allegorical images depicting
Pombal's political, educational, and agricultural reforms. Broken blocks of
stone at the foot of the monument and tidal waves flooding the city
symbolize the effects of the earthquake. The surrounding paving stones are
decorated with a mosaic of Lisbon's coat of arms.
Where: Baixa
How: Metro - Marquês de Pombal Station
|
Avenida
da Liberdade - The city's main avenue.
Edward
VII Park - The city's largest park.
Calouste
Gulbenkian Museum - Treasures from the East and the West.
Medeiros
e Almeida Museum - Outstanding private collection of fine arts.
