Uphill from downtown Lisbon, the city’s stylish Chiado district is an area of cultural importance steeped in centuries of history.
Old and venerated, it adjoins the more bohemian Bairro Alto quarter in one of the hilliest parts of the Portuguese capital.
Its beating heart is the Praça Luís de Camões where a statue of the great poet (pictured above) stands high and proud on a pedestal overlooking the square.
When a major fire broke out on the 25th of August 1988 in the very heart of the Chiado, the world feared for its future. It raged through several prominent buildings, leaving this historic quarter on its knees. The event triggered a full-scale reconstruction programme that ultimately managed to restore the area to its former glory.
Set at right angles to each other, the Chiado’s two main partly-pedestrianised thoroughfares – Rua do Carmo and Rua Garrett – are lined with refined antique shops, timeless cafés and fashionable boutiques, some of which are commercial landmarks.
The exquisite Luvaria Ulisses is the only place in the whole country that sells just gloves, while Leitão & Irmão is so prestigious that it was appointed crown jewellers by King Luís I way back in 1875. For the ultimate souvenir for friends and family back home, head for Vista Alegre (Portugal’s premier porcelain-maker) after stopping off for some top-quality reading material at the nearby Livraria Bertrand, Lisbon’s oldest bookshop.
First-class opera and ballet are performed at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, the first Neo-Classical building to be constructed in Lisbon and one of the oldest establishments of its kind in Europe. Close by stands the Teatro de São Luiz, a first-class playhouse and another of the Chiado’s cultural landmarks.
Lisbon’s historic quarters
Chiado is also home to one of Portugal’s best-known coffee-houses, the world-famous A Brasileira do Chiado which first opened its doors in 1905 and has been an iconic establishment ever since. The intellectual elite would meet there to discuss literature and the arts, as well as philosophy and the main political issues of the day.
Today, besides serving great coffee, A Brasileira do Chiado is an absolute must for visitors looking to have their photograph taken beside Fernando Pessoa, one of the country’s most popular poets, whose striking life-size bronze statue sits right outside alongside an invitingly empty chair!
A number of Lisbon’s other top tourist attractions exist in the Chiado, such as the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC) which occupies part of an old convent and covers the period between 1850 and 1950,
Built in the mid 16th century, the Church of São Roque is notable for the chapel of St John the Baptist which was first constructed in Rome and transported to Lisbon in three ships in 1747. A small sacred art museum displays several pieces of the church’s original collection of religious treasures, including many rare paintings, sculptures and pieces of precious jewellery.
Ruined by the great earthquake of 1755, Carmo Church (indicated on the map below) ranks as the Chiado’s most striking landmark in a prominent location overlooking Lisbon’s bustling Baixa district. It was built in 1389 by the Holy Constable of Portugal, Nuno Álvares Pereira, who led Portugal to victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota and died inside the church in 1431.
It’s very easy to reach the Chiado because it has its own Metro station. But the best way to get there is by taking the iconic Santa Justa Elevator which offers travellers a 60-second ride through centuries of history.
Another memorable way to get to the Chiado district of Lisbon is on the world-famous number 28 tram which trundles and screeches its way across the inner city from early morning until late at night right through the year.
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