There is the Chiado district in the center of Lisbon. This part of the city is popular for its historic buildings, culture, museums and theaters, shopping and luxury restaurants. But it hasn't always been this way. In 1988, the Chiado district caught fire, followed by the construction and recovery of this part of Lisbon, and the fact that the most expensive real estate in Lisbon is located in the Chiado district tells us that the architect did a great job. The poet Antonio Ribeira lived in this part of the city, his nickname was "chiado", after who the most prestigious part of Lisbon is named today.
On the main square of this district, Chiado Square, there is a statue of the poet Costa Mota, made in bronze. It is known from history that this part of Lisbon was inhabited in the 3rd century BC. when it was inhabited by Romans who built their villas here. In the Middle Ages, the inhabitants of this part of Lisbon were engaged in agriculture and religion, so several monasteries were built then, from the 18th and 19th centuries. (Saint Francis, Santo de Pedreira, Convent of Trinidad and Carmo).
There used to be a gate on today's Chiado Square, which was the main entrance to this part of the city. The gate was demolished in the 18th century. Some of the churches built in Chiado were built in the Baroque and Rococo style, and belonged to the Italian community of people who lived there. At the end of the 18th century, Chiado was considered the most important commercial part of Lisbon, and some old craft shops have existed here for more than 300 years, such as: “Bertrand” bookstore, the “Paris in Lisbon” confection.
There is also an opera house here, which actually attracted important Lisbon elite to live in this historic area. Here is also the Chiado Palace, an archeological and modern museum, which is located in the church. It can be said that Chiado is a bohemian district of Lisbon. In the mid-90s, the Lisbon aristocracy, artists and intellectuals gathered here to enjoy cafes, restaurants and theaters. The squares and streets of Chiado are romantic, bohemian, cheerful and that, together with the beautiful history, mostly attracted visitors, so today tourists visit this part of the city in large numbers.
In the great fire that occurred in August 1988, 18 buildings were destroyed, which were later all renovated, and today Chiado is a great pride and beauty of the city. Chiado was founded in 1567 as a part of the city of Lisbon. The yellow tram 28 also passes through this district, which means that Chiado is a must see and an unavoidable stop.
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
