ville du mois

Lisbon and music

Venues & Orchestras

History

From the 13th century, religious music flourished in the monasteries, especially in the Santa Cruz monastery in Coimbra, which two centuries later would play a major role in the genre of a cappella singing.

Encouraged from very early on by certain kings, music became widespread in Portugal.

Music gained further momentum with the expansion of Portugal and its growing wealth in the 17th century. Polyphony developed thanks to the different schools, such as that of Manuel Mendès, one of the greatest Portuguese composers and one of the founders of the School of Evora. Instrumental music developed considerably during the reign of João IV (1640 - 1656).

With the first performance of an Italian opera in Lisbon in 1682, the taste for the Italian style became established for nearly two centuries, and concertante music was then abandoned in favour of opera. Encouraged by João V, who even sent composers to Italy to complete their education, opera occupied a predominant position in Lisbon, which at the beginning of the 18th century had four opera houses.

The first performances were held in the theatre of the Royal Palace of Ribeira, where in 1733 one of the first Portuguese operas, La Pazienza di Socrate, by F. A. Almeida was performed for the first time. In March 1755, one of the finest European theatres, the Teatro dos Paços de Ribeira (Opera-Theatre of the Tagus) opened, an expression of Portugal’s power as well as of the taste of the people of Lisbon for opera. The tragic earthquake of November 1755 devastated this brand new building.

In the late 18th century, secular music in the form of sentimental ballads called Modinhas grew popular. This period also saw the construction of the São Carlos theatre, a replica of the theatre of the same name in Naples, and the discovery of the Portuguese composer, Marco Portogallo.

During the 19th century, both serious and comic opera were performed. Symphonic music only began to develop around 1830, due to the impetus given it by its first Portuguese exponent, J. D. Bontempo, who founded the “Philharmonic Society”, then the Lisbon Conservatoire. From then on, concerts were held regularly, introducing people to the great European composers.

The very beginning of the twentieth century saw the birth of the modern Portuguese school, influenced by the leading European innovators. Francisco Lacerda and J. Braga Santos were the first of a generation, carried on today by composers such as R. Peixinho (1940) and Emmanuel Nunes (1941).

Fado
Fado is the song of Lisbon par excellence. Arising from a very particular sentiment, a mood which you experience without being able to explain it, Fado is still today the purest and most authentic product of Portuguese popular culture. This song of ‘saudade’ celebrates the melancholy born of the various reverses of fortune experienced by Portugal in its rich history. Brought back from Brazil by the exiled Court, this song took root and changed in the Mouraria district of Lisbon, the former Moorish neighbourhood, where it was influenced by Arabic and Andalusian music.
Amalia Rodrigues, Portugal’s most famous singer, carried the sound of the Fado as far away as Japan and made it embody the voice of the Portuguese soul. Until 1999, the year of her death, she was Portugal’s cultural ambassador. Her death prompted three days of national mourning. This working-class native of the Alfama district, today lies in the Pantheon beside Vasco de Gama….

Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian - www.musica.gulbenkian.pt
The flag bearer of Lisbon’s cultural scene, the Gulbenkian foundation has a world-class orchestra, choir and ballet. The Grande Auditório, with state-of-the-art acoustics, hosts a stellar repertoire of classical concerts and occasional ballet performances, directed by Lawrence Foster, the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Gulbenkian Orchestra, Portugal's premier orchestra.

Grandes Orquestras Mundiais (Great Orchestras of the World)
22 Nov. 2004 - 25 May 2005
This is a concert series in the Coliseu dos Recreios and the large auditorium at the Gulbenkian foundation, featuring various internationally renowned conductors and soloists.
In 2004/2005 this series includes performances by: Berlin Opera Orchestra, Radio-France Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra in the Coliseu and Les Arts Florissants in the Gulbenkian's large auditorium.

Teatro Nacional de São Carlos - www.saocarlos.pt
The Theatre was opened on July 30, 1793 by queen Maria I of Portugal as a replacement for the Phoenix Opera House which was destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. However, contrary to most other European opera houses, São Carlos was never a royal theatre, but reserved for the aristocracy. The Theatre was built in a rococo style, after the model of the most prestigious opera house at that time, the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.
The first opera presented was Rossini's Tancredi, starting the 1815 season. In 1854, the Portuguese state bought the theatre from private investors. After the Carnation revolution of April 25, 1974, the theatre was reorganized and a permanent opera company was established.

Orquestra Sinfonica Portuguesa
Created in 1993, the Orquestra Sinfonica Portuguesa is managed by the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. Since 1996, the orchestra has been developing an important symphonic activity. The orchestra performed with major conductors such as Raphael Frühbeck of Burgos, Wolfgang Rennert, of Alain Lombard, Maxim Chostakovitch, Nello Santi, Alberto Zedda, Krzysztof Penderecki...

Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa
Created in 1992 by Miguel Graça Maure, this orchestra gives more than 500 concerts each year and pays a particular attention to the musical practice and teaching.

Centro Cultural de Belém - www.ccb.pt/ccb/
Known for its excellent acoustics, the centre plays host to important Classical concerts and large-scale opera and is considered one of Lisbon’s most important cultural venues.

Coliseu dos Recreios - www.coliseulisboa.com
The Coliseu dos Recreios was inaugurated on August 14, 1890. Fruit of the cooperation with foreign artists, Coliseu was a novelty as it presented the iron architecture, which was little developed in Portugal at that time. Its spectacular dome of 25 meters in radius was imported from Germany. The frontage of the building was created by the architect Cesare Ianz. In 1994, for the Lisboa - European Capital of the Culture celebration, it was completely renovated and it found its entire glare.

Pavilhão Atlântico - www.pavilhaoatlantico.pt
Built for the International Exhibition of 1998, the Pavilhão Atlântico can host up to 20.000 people. Throughout the year there is a calendar of regular concerts featuring big names from the international scene from classical music to jazz, as well as sport events and Operas.

Founded by the Phoenicians in 1200 BC, Lisbon was occupied by the Romans in the 2nd century AD, then by the Visigoths in the 5th century AD. In 711, Muslims (the Moors) invaded the Iberian peninsula. They established a strong presence, except in the north where the Christian kingdoms organised resistance and gradually pushed the invaders back towards the south.
Lisbon, whose foundation is attributed by legend to Ulysses (hence its Latin name: Ulissipo), was named Felicitas Julia by the Romans, then the Moors renamed it Lisbon and it became a Muslim city. It remained so until 1147, when Lisbon was recaptured from the Moors by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, with the aid of an army of Crusaders en route for Palestine. In 1255, Afonso III, fifth king of Portugal, decided to settle in Lisbon; and the city then became the capital of the country.
Built on an exceptional site on the estuary of the Tagus, the city grew and became an important port. A university was founded there in 1288 (finally transferred to Coimbra in 1537). Lisbon is at the heart of a region which soon became the nation’s dynamic centre. It was here that the most prosperous businesses and the most creative intellectual centres were to be found as well as the residence of the king and his court.

In 1383, Fernando I of Portugal, the last king of the dynasty of Afonso Henriques, died without a male heir. He left a daughter, Beatriz, who married King Juan II of Castile. This king claimed his wife’s heritage, the Portuguese crown. But Fernando’s half-brother João was named as his successor. He was proclaimed king in 1385, as João I. On 15 August 1385, at Aljubarrota, the Portuguese won a victory against the Castilians. The kings that followed João I formed the Avis dynasty which continued to reign until 1580. It is thanks to the Avis dynasty that Lisbon, a European city, became a world centre for trade and culture. It was from Lisbon that the ships set sail to discover the new world.
The period of the Discoveries brought Portugal great riches, thanks to the trade established with the colonies in Brazil, Africa, India, China, Japan and the East Indies. Subsequently, religious pressure from Spain led to the setting up of the Inquisition and the expulsion of the Jews and the departure of Moorish traders, leaving Portugal with an empire based on trade, but deprived of its commercial expertise.

At the end of the 17th century, Brazilian gold allowed the construction of many palaces and sumptuous buildings. But in November 1755 the city was partially destroyed by an earthquake, followed by a tidal wave and a fire. Reconstruction work began in 1760, under the direction of a man imbued with the spirit of the Enlightenment, the Marquês de Pombal, then Prime Minister of King José I, who redeveloped the city in a distinctly modern style. The whole lower part of the city, the Baixa, as we see it today, is the result of this reconstruction. A rational and modern European capital, “Pombaline” Lisbon turned its back on Baroque principles of art and architecture to become a genuine “city of the Enlightenment”.

In 1807 Napoleon arrived in Lisbon and the royal family fled to Brazil. Thanks to a treaty signed with the English, the war continued, led by English Generals, including Beresford and Wellington, who succeeded three years later to drive back the French Emperor. As a consequence of the exile of the king, which lingered on, pro- and anti-monarchists went on fighting one another for a long time, but the monarchy was finally abandoned on 5 October 1910 and the republic proclaimed.
From 1928 to 1974, the country was subject to the authoritarian regime of Oliveiro Salazar, then of Marcelo Caetano. In a Portugal that remained neutral during the Second World War, Lisbon was a haven and a port of embarkation for Africa and America for refugees from all over Europe.

The “Carnation Revolution” (25 April 1974) marked the end of authoritarian government in Portugal, when a military movement overthrew the government of professor Marcelo Caetano and re-established democracy. The “Carnation Revolution” brought democratisation, modernisation and the opening up of the country to the world. For instance, in 1986, Portugal joined the European Economic Community.
Yet another fire destroyed a commercial district of the city in 1988. However, hosting the last World Exhibition of the 20th century (Expo ’98) in 1998 enabled the renovation work to be speeded up. Some districts, such as the old dock area, were completely refurbished, and the largest bridge in Europe (the Vasco de Gama bridge, 12 km long) was built across the Tagus.

Architecture

Some Highlights

Gardens & in the surrounding area

Architectural ruins in Portugal, among other relics, date from prehistoric times. Stone monoliths and dolmens, built during the Stone Age between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago, have been found across Portugal.
Some of the hill forts built by the Celts remain, as examples of Portugal's earliest architecture. Little is left from the Roman occupation, or from the Moorish period.

The prosperity that came from Portugal's overseas ventures in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries produced a heavily decorated style of architecture known as Manuelino. Manuelino art appeared at the end of the Gothic period, and is set in between this style and the Renaissance era (1490 - 1540). The characteristics are elements of marine flora, shells, ropes, sails and twisted columns.
There are few entirely Manuelino buildings. The famous Torre de Belém in Lisbon is the best known example. Of religious architecture, the best example is Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Belém.

Two particularly Portuguese architectural items are pelourinhos - decorated stone columns erected in towns and villages as a symbol of the local authority and azulejos - glazed tiles used to decorate palaces, churches, houses and other buildings.
Although introduced to Iberia by Moors, the art of azulejos continued after they left. Portuguese and Flemish artists began to produce tiles in Lisbon in the 16th Century. Blue and yellow were the favourite colour combination and tiles depicted mostly floral patterns or religious scenes. After the earthquake of 1755 there was a return to multi-coloured tiles. In the rebuilt Lisbon houses were encased in tiles, and this tradition continues today.

Renaissance flair was introduced into the country by French architects in the 16th century. See: Igreja de São Roque in the Bairro Alto district

The Pombal style was that instigated in Lisbon by the Marquis de Pombal when he rebuilt after the great earthquake. This is civic architecture of a severe style; sobriety and regularity marked the Pombaline buildings. The old city centre was divided into squares of long avenues and cross streets. Architecture was submitted to the whole spatial composition and important anti-seismic measures were taken.
See : Baixa district

The historical quarters of Lisboa are generally in the city centre. Some still retain the old structures of Muslim and medieval origin, with courtyards where people usually get together. The typical features of these quarters are old houses, narrow streets, wrought-iron balconies, tiled façades and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

Alfama, Castelo and Mouraria
The Alfama is one of the oldest quarters in Lisboa. Since it largely survived the earthquake of 1755, the area still retains much of its original layout.
Adjacent to the Alfama are the likewise old quarters of Castelo and Mouraria, on the western and northern slopes of the hill that is crowned by St. George's Castle. Every year in June, the streets of all three quarters come alive with the feasts in honour of the popular saints.
Castelo de São Jorge
The castle is a living memory of various events that marked the history of Portugal, having been in the hands of Romans, Suevians, Visigoths and Muslims. It was rebuilt in the 1940s and has recently been renovated. Beautiful view over the city.
Igreja e Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora
This sixteenth century church and monastery with a Renaissance façade has in its cloisters a series of interesting Portuguese tile (azulejo) panels inspired by La Fontaine's fables.

Bairro Alto, Chiado and Bica
Laid out in the 16th century, the Bairro Alto is one of the most picturesque quarters in the city.
The Chiado is an elegant shopping district. At the end of the 19th century, it became a fashionable meeting place for intellectuals such as Fernando Pessoa, Almada Negreiros and Eça de Queiroz. Their most famous haunt was the café "A Brasileira", which is still today favoured by the city's art students.
The Bica quarter lies adjacent to the Bairro Alto and Chiado. In addition to its typical streets and houses, it is particularly renowned for its funicular lift, the “Ascensor da Bica”, built in 1892.
Museu e Igreja de São Roque
European sacred art from 16th to 17th centuries.

Baixa
One of Lisboa's busiest quarters. Almost completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1755 and rebuilt by Marquis de Pombal. The original uniform, rectilinear architecture is still evident today. The names of the streets parallel to Rua Augusta still allude to the traders and craftsmen based in the area since the Age of the Discoveries.
Sé Catedral de Lisboa
Built by the first king of Portugal, Dom Afonso Henriques (1109-1185).
To see: the 12th century baptismal font, the Gothic chapel with a Nativity scene by sculptor Machado de Castro.
Praça do Comercio
One of the most majestic squares, Praça do Comercio was the main maritime entrance to Lisbon.

Belém
Belém is linked to Portugal's Golden Age of Discoveries as the site where the famous navigators set sail to discover the world. Today it is a spacious green suburb with many gardens, parks and monuments that are well worth a visit.
Torre de Belém
King Dom João II (1455-1495) decided to build the tower in an effort to defend the estuary of the river Tagus. His successor Dom Manuel I (1469-1521) ended up building the tower. It was designed by architect and scupltor Francisco Arruda, with notable traces of Moorish influence. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
This sixteenth century monastery was built in the reign of Dom Manuel I and of Dom João III to celebrate the discovery of the sea route to India. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Padrão dos Descobrimentos
This monument was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), one of the great personalities of the Portuguese Discoveries.

Palácio de Fronteira
Built in 1640 as a hunting pavilion for João de Mascarenhas, the first Marquês de Fronteira, this delightful country manor house occupies a rural spot on the edge of Monsanto Forest.
The palace and surrounding gardens are most notable for the striking azulejo tiles covering the walls.

Tram 28
The legendary tram 28 still ply the well-worn route from the city centre on sea level, right up through the jumble of streets towards the heights of the Castelo de São Jorge.

Jardim Botânico da Ajuda
Considered Portugal’s finest botanical garden, this space dates from the 18th century and was designed to receive specimens of flora brought back from the colonies.

Jardim da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
A magnificent garden surrounding the Foundation’s buildings with an ornamental lake, sculptures and an open-air amphitheatre.

Surrounding area

Sintra (20 km from Lisbon)
Worth seeing: the Palácio Nacional da Vila da Sintra, formerly a royal palace, with Mudéjar, Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance architecture. The romantic-style Palácio Nacional da Pena and the Castelo dos Mouros, an eighth-century Arab fortification, right at the top of the Serra, offer unforgettable panoramic views over the town and region. The Palácio Nacional de Queluz is famous for its gardens, with an abundance of Baroque fountains and statues. Concerts and ballets are often performed here.

Templários
The name comes from the monastic order which was established nine centuries ago in the present town of Tomar and the valley of the river Nabão. A magnificent heritage, characterised by the search for an equitable balance between man and nature.
Worth seeing: The Convento do Cristo
Built between the 12th and 18th centuries, testimony to the aesthetic and architectural movements of various periods, the Convento do Cristo is one of the principal monuments of Portuguese architecture. It belonged to the Order of the Templars, then the Order of the Knights of Christ. This complex of seven cloisters and other buildings contains some remarkable pieces of architecture.
Castelo de Tomar
Gualdim Pais commissioned its construction in the 12th century. The keep of the Castelo has re-used Roman tombstones integrated into its walls.

Leiria Fátima
From the mountains to the sea, the region of Leiria/Fátima is a genuine history book of Portugal.
Mosteiro da Batalha
Its construction began at the end of the 14th century to commemorate the victory over the Castilian armies in the Battle of Aljubarrota. A World Heritage Site, it includes one of Europe’s finest churches. An exuberant Gothic style, with Manueline and Renaissance elements.
Castelo de Leiria
It has the town at its feet. Captured from the Moors by Dom Afonso Henriques in 1135, it was home to the Court in 1254.
Nazaré
A picturesque fishing village and very popular beach.

Food & Drink

Festivals, Traditional customs

Starters
Caldo verde : soup of potatoes, fried onions and thinly sliced Galician cabbage, served with slices of chouriço (cured spiced sausage).
Sopa da Pedra (stone soup): legendary soup cooked with a stone at the bottom of the pot, to which a bit of everything is added, according to the chef’s mood.

Dishes
Bacalhau (salt cod): it is said that there are 365 ways to prepare salt cod in Portugal
- bolinhos or pastéis de bacalhau - cod croquettes
- bacalhau cozido - cod stew
- bacalhau assado - roast cod
- bacalhau assado na brasa - char-grilled cod
- bacalhau a Bràs - typical of Lisbon: cod, onions and thin slices of potato, scrambled eggs, black olives and parsley
Caracois (snails): a speciality of the Lisbon region
Peixe (fish): grilled or roasted, there is a considerable choice. In Lisbon, as on the whole of the coast, the fish is king: grouper, swordfish, squid, octopus, skate, sole, eel and sardinhas (sardines).
Cozido à Portuguesa: a traditional stew from Lisbon’s old districts, which is now found all over the country.
Carne de porco alentejano: a typical Lisbon dish. This consists of pork fillets cooked with garlic, spices, lard and clams. This dish is also sometimes made with ham.

Desserts
Torradas : thick slices of bread, toasted and spread with salted butter, served as a teatime snack
Pastéis de nata : a kind of round custard tart in a flaky pastry case sprinkled with cinnamon and icing sugar. Best served warm.
Arroz Doce : rice pudding
Almofada : a small cream cake
Baba de Camelo : a vanilla dessert
Doce de bolacha : a cake made with butter biscuits and condensed milk

Drinks
Coffee
Coffee is a veritable institution in Portugal. People tend to drink coffee in cafés rather than at home. It is served in small shots and very strong.

Wines
Portugal is a big wine producer and offers a very broad range of both whites and reds, which should have something to please everyone.
A Portuguese speciality: Vinho Verde. The name “Green Wine” indicates that the wine is young and its fermentation short, giving a low-alcohol, light, sparkling, fruity and slightly acidic wine.
Dão: Grown on the granite slopes of the Dão valley, two wines are produced, a fresh white wine and a very soft, velvet-smooth red wine with a rich aroma, similar to Burgundy.
Bairrada: This traditional wine-growing region produces a robust and highly aromatic red wine.
Colares: a dry white wine from the Serra de Sintra, near Lisbon. A world-famous wine produced since the 13th century.
Moscatel: a sweet golden white wine from the Serra d'Arrábida, south of Lisbon. Usually drunk as an aperitif.
Portugal’s most famous wine is Port, sweet and syrupy, which can be either red or white, and is drunk as an aperitif or after a meal. The port we know today has been made since the 1830s. It was developed as a result of trading alliances between Great Britain and Portugal.
Appellations:
Tinto - red; young, highly coloured and sweet
Tinto Aloirado - ruby; a few years old, golden red, sweet with a pronounced fruity aroma
Aloirado - tawny; an older wine from several different vintages, colour a burnt topaz, medium dry and sweet; it can achieve the highest quality
Aloirado-Claro - light tawny; final stage of the wine, aged in barrels.

As in the rest of the country, Lisbonites like to celebrate various romarias (religious pilgrimages), festas (festivals) and other feiras (fairs). Religious processions take pride of place.

Beginning of February - Lisbon Fado Festival
February/March: carnival with its processions and its hordes of kids in strange disguises running about the city streets in search of sweet things.
25 April - Festival of the Carnation Revolution. Public holiday.
On 12-13 May and 12-13 October the two annual pilgrimages to Fátima are held. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to celebrate, in this centre of Catholicism, the first and last appearance of Mary to three young shepherd boys.
The first week in June: Feira Nacional da Agricultura, Santarém’s big livestock fair, usually including on the programme bullfights, folk singing and folk dances.
10 June - National holiday established in the 19th century. It is also the festival of the Portuguese language, corresponding to the anniversary of the death of Camõens in 1580.
On 12-13 June the Festa de Santo Antonio (St Anthony of Padua) is held, a time of great festivities. Lisbon bursts into life: several districts of the city organise wild festivals at night combining processions, dancing, music, fireworks, food and alcoholic drinks. The festivities continue throughout the month with a programme of concerts, exhibitions and street theatre.
On 28 and 29 June the Festa de São Pedro is celebrated, especially on the other side of the Tagus, at Montijo. This festival, which was originally associated with the traditions of fishermen, now includes the blessing of boats, bullfights and a bull run.
Beginning of July - Estoril Jazz at Estoril and at Sintra.
From mid-July to mid-August the new Lisboa Mexe-me (“Lisbon gets me moving”) is held, which livens up some of the old districts with free open-air shows.
Mid-July - Lisbon International Theatre Festival.
September - Early Music Day in Lisbon (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation).
5 October - Festival of the Republic, established in 1910. In parallel, the monarchist movements celebrate the anniversary of the founding of Portugal by evoking the Treaty of Zamora in 1143 which guaranteed the country’s independence.
25 October - Lisbon commemorates the final taking of the city from the Moors (1147).
November - Lisbon Marathon.
Beginning of November - Lisbon Wine Festival.
1 December - Restoration Day (Dia da Restauração) celebrates the restoration of the country’s independence in 1640 after 80 years under Spanish rule.

Tourada
The Portuguese bullfight is quite different from the Spanish bullfight. The bull is not put to death. It is generally fought on horseback. Bullfights usually take place once a week, from Easter to October. The most famous are those of Lisbon, Santarém or Vila Franca de Xira.

Things to Do

Hotels

Restaurants

Musées
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
A private Portuguese institution, founded in 1956 by Calouste Gulbenkian, which funds exhibitions, courses, congresses, concerts and a wide selection of performance arts.
Its headquarters are located in the Parque de Santa Gertrudes, Lisbon, where there is a permanent exhibition of contemporary Portuguese and foreign sculpture, along with the Gulbenkian Museum and Art Library, the José de Azeredo Perdigão Centre of Modern Art and the Children's Art Centre (CAI).
The museum has temporary exhibitions throughout the year as well as a permanent collection that includes European painting from the 15th century, furniture, jewellery and ornamental French arts.

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
www.mnarteantiga-ipmuseus.pt
Established in the Palácio dos Condes de Alvor (18th century). European art and a very complete collection of the Portuguese art from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

Museu do Chiado
www.museudochiado-ipmuseus.pt
The National Museum of Contemporary art, founded in 1911, is installed in the old São Francisco convent. The Portuguese art collection covers the period after 1850 and presents works of various movements: romanticism, naturalism, surrealism and modernism.

Museu Nacional do Azulejo
www.mnazulejo-ipmuseus.pt
Installed in the Convento da Madre de Deus cloisters (16th century). The collection gathers works from the archaic azulejaria of the 15th century to the contemporary production.

Museu Nacional de Arqueologia
www.mnarqueologia-ipmuseus.pt
Installed in the southern wing of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Prehistoric, Roman, Visigothic, Arab and Medieval periods.

Museu da Cidade
The museum is installed in the Palácio Pimenta, dated from the 1st half of the 17th century. Wide collection of archaeological discoveries, paintings, drawings and engravings on the history of Lisbon, from the prehistory to the 19th century.

Museu-Escola de Artes Decorativas Portuguesas da Fundação Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva
The museum is established in the Palácio Azurara, in the old district of Alfama. Main attractions: furniture, cloth, Chinese porcelain collections and paintings of the 15th - 19th centuries.

Museu Nacional do Teatro
www.museudoteatro-ipmuseus.pt
The museum is established in the Palácio do Monteiro-Mor (18th century).

Museu Nacional de Etnologia
www.mnetnologia-ipmuseus.pt
Ethnographic funds from all over the world. The Maconde and the Indians of the Amazon collections worth special attention.

Palácio Belmonte (5*)
Tel.: +351 21 881 66 00, Fax: +351 21 881 66 09
www.palaciobelmonte.com
Located in the "Alfama", on the eastern side of the hillside of Lisbon's St George's Castle, the present Palácio building dates back to 1449. The ambiance of Palácio Belmonte is both elegant and comfortable.

Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon (5*)
Tel. +351 21 381 14 00, Fax: +351 21 383 17 83
www.fourseasons.com/lisbon
The hotel reflects the nobility and charm of historic Portugal, and offers views on the Eduardo VII Park, St. George's Moorish castle, the Old Town and the Tagus River from atop one of Lisbon's seven hills. Within walking distance of the historic old town, a landmark hotel is enhanced by outstanding contemporary art.

Hotel Avenida Palace (5*)
Tel.: +351 21 321 81 00, Fax: 351 21 342 28 84
www.hotel-avenida-palace.pt
The Hotel has been erected in 1892. While having kept its unique "Belle Epoque" style, the Palace is offering all the modern comfort in its spectacular decor. Located in the cultural and commercial centre of the city, overlooking the Restauradores square, the Avenida Palace offers views over the St. Jorge Castle and the Alfama district.

Hotel Real Palácio (5*)
Tel.: +351 21 319 95 21, Fax: +351 21 319 95 02
www.hoteisreal.com
Set at the heart of Lisbon, the hotel combines charm and sophistication with comfort. Two separate but adjacent buildings, it is distinguished by a former 17th century palace that maintains its original layout.

York House - Convento dos Marianos (4*)
Tel.: +351 21 396 24 35, Fax: +351 21 397 27 93
www.yorkhouselisboa.com
The Hotel is set round a pleasant courtyard; this early 17th century converted convent is attractively decorated and full of charm and character. Flowers, trees and plants in profusion, wooden polished floors and many superb tiles. The hotel is located next to the Ancient Art Museum and within walking distance from the Santos - O - Velho Church, the Port, the Estrêla Basilica And Estrêla gardens.

Clara
Campo dos Mártires da Pátria 49
Tél. : +351 5 30 53
Fax : +351 21 885 20 82
In the city centre, with a beautiful terrace. Elegant establishment perfectly featured. Pleasant decoration, total comfort and welcoming atmospher.

Casa do Leão
Castelo de São Jorge
Tél. : +351 21 887 59 62
Fax : +351 21 887 63 29
Situated in the heart of the ramparts of Castelo de São Jorge. Elegant place, unique atmosphere and beautiful Portuguese traditional style.

Casa da Comida
Travessa das Amoreiras 1
Tél. : +351 21 388 53 76
Fax : +351 21 387 51 32
Fine cooking full of imagination and professionalism in a splendid patio covered with plants. Elegant and very charming.

Gambrinus
Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 25
Tél.: +351 21 342 14 66
Fax : +351 21 346 50 32
The restaurant is situated in the historical city centre, near Rossio. Establishment of renowned tradition, where a good cooking and an excellent cellar confirm their reputation.

Conventual
Praça das Flores 45
Tél.: +351 21 390 91 96
Fax : +351 21 390 91 96
Quality, elegance, charming environment and menu well made.

Consenso
Rua da Académia das Ciências 1-A
Tél.: +351 21 343 13 13
Fax : +351 21 343 13 12
Good modern Portuguese gastronomy. Beautiful interior with avant-garde decoration. Pleasant and comfortable atmosphere.