Street Art Route

Time Out Magazine recently prepared a route of Lisbon’s street art, combining several styles and artists making a unique combination that can’t be missed. 

In this post we’ll highlight the ones closest to us:

1 - Universal Personhood by Shepard Fairy.

Foto Bruno Lopes

The man who created the famous Obama poster “Hope”, came to Lisbon and left his mark in Rua da Senhora da Gloria, a shared work with Vihls, Universal Personhood is a series of works that stand for women rights.

2- Calçada by Vihls
Vihls first work in “Calçada Portuguesa” (Portuguese sidewalk) is located between Cable car 12 stops in Rua de S. Tomé e Rua dos Cegos and it is a work that celebrates Portugal.

3 – Desassossego by Aka Corleone 
Located on Rua Damasceno Monteiro, by Senhora do Monte viewpoint it’s a tribute to Lisbon’s most representative character, Fernando Pessoa.

4 - André Saraiva Tile Mural
With an incredible 52 738 tiles, this was Lisbon’s last big street art event. Located in Santa Clara, the 188m mural reinterprets the city combining some of Lisbon’s monuments with other elements such as the Eifel Tower.

Foto Ana Luzia

5 – Estátua de Pichi&Avo
Executed under the exhibition “Versus” by Galeria Underdogs and located in Calçada de Santa
Apolónia, it is a perfect example of the quality of the work by the duo Pichi&Avo, artists that like to combine classic art and graffiti wildness.

6 – Disquietheart by Tamara Alves
Near “Time Out Market” in Cais Sodré, one can enjoy Tamara Alves’s work inspired by José Saramago’s words “If you have an iron heart, enjoy it. Mine is flesh and bleeds all day”.

The full route here.

Rua Augusta

Today we return to the topic Streets of Lisbon and this time with a big one, the world famous “Rua Augusta”.

Not all blocks were even built and the main trading activities for the streets in the downtown quarter were already defined, based on a street by trade organization.

The “Rua Augusta” was intended to house the merchants of wool and silk and to honor the "Augusta”, the respectful and sacred figure of King ”
D. José I”. It is one of the main streets in the downtown area and perhaps the most important link between "Praça do Comércio" and "Praça D. Pedro IV" (aka Rossio).

In 1780, those who walked from "Rossio" to "Praça do Comércio” through "Rua Augusta” could count 123 stores open. Those days, the street had a characteristic color, due to the wool and silk cloths, displayed in the windows and doors of its establishments.

In 1771, Arthur William Costigan referred to “Rua Augusta” as a “high class street ", from which one could see the “Castelo São Jorge” from one side and from the other the district of “Bairro Alto”. The passage to "Praça do Comércio" is made through the majestic “Arco da Rua Augusta” whose name reveals the importance attributed to it. A monument we will write about in the future.

This grand street, with its impressive shops that everyday extended their awnings over the sidewalk, and opened their showcases, was also an area for "high finances". In the late nineteenth century, the street already showed a busy facet, with people of all social classes visiting the street for shopping, or just strolling, enjoying the latest in fashion.

Since the 1980's the street is closed to traffic and it is often occupied by street artists, craftsmen and vendors.

Along its path there are outdoor tables from the local restaurants and tourist shops and also one of Lisbon’s best museums, one we already wrote about: MUDE the Museum of Fashion and Design.

Rua Áurea (part 2)

The second part of a short story from one of the most important streets of Lisbon, strolled up and down by thousands of tourists that visit Lisbon every year.

We have talked about trade but we cannot forget the financial history of the city which has a very strong presence along this street. The "GOLD" was always the guarantee of money so this “union” is no wonder.
Rua do Ouro, spreads establishments where money is the core business. The Bank of Portugal was born in 1846 from the merger of Banco de Lisboa (1822) with the National Trust Company (1844), having as its first president Conde de Porto Covo da Bandeira.

After a fire which destroyed their office at the Town Hall building, they moved to the corner of Rua do Ouro and Rua do Comércio. In 1868 they bought a building which they still occupy and in which the Bank was already working in 1870. They didn’t cease, however, to buy the adjoining properties in all directions, including the Igreja São Julião, so that they could own the whole block.
Other Banks “were born” and “perished”. Stories of bankruptcies and mergers enrich the financial memory of Rua do Ouro.

A very beautiful building made for Banco Lisboa & Açores situated in pair side of the street, a risk from the architect Lino Ventura, with four marble columns, two lion’s heads and three magnificent balconies which we can still admire. This Bank, established in 1875, went to that location in 1907.

At night the street turns into a desert, but with the dawn arises once again a privileged site to sense and measure the heartbeat of the city. The charm of Rua do Ouro  lies, as it did in the past, beyond its framework in the human taste made and unmade every day.

Rua Áurea (part 1)

Lisbon’s history dates back to 300,000 years ago. However, it emerged as a nation state in the early 12th century and ranks as one of the world's longest founded cities. As the legend goes, it is a city founded and named by Ulysses as Ulissipo or Olissopo, meaning "enchanting port".
The earthquake of 1755 destroyed nearly the entire city and Marquês de Pombal rebuilt it, creating new areas like the Baixa Pombalina, a commercial area that still attains attraction.
Today, Lisbon is one of the most beautiful capitals of Europe, preserving the marks of its early splendid history.

We start today a series of articles that will emphasize the history of some of the streets of Lisbon and we will start with one very close from us.

Rua Áurea (commonly known as Rua do Ouro or “Gold Street”), is one of the most beautiful streets of Pombal civil architecture, “stolen” in part to the Rio Tejo, with its buildings based on piling wood preserved by the flow of the river that floods the subsoil.

This street connects Praça Comércio to Praça Dom Pedro IV also known as Rossio. Rua do Ouro is a noble street which is always busy, sampling the best and worst of what the metropolis produces.

As it is known today the street is the result of the post-earthquake Lisbon, however, part of its route, already existed in the fifteenth century with the name Rua dos Ourives do Ouro (Goldsmith Street).
After the earthquake, the street was torn and integrated in the symmetric whole of the Baixa Pombalina. By Decree in 1760, it was determined that this street should congregate the goldsmiths of the city and that the leftover shops were distributed to watchmakers.

Since always the Rua do Ouro is a place of business activity and city life movement.
But not only from goldsmiths lived the Rua do Ouro. By advertisements on the newspaper Gazeta de Lisboa at the time, we know that booksellers, small restaurants, hostels and other honored the busy road.

Source: Ruas de Lisboa com alguma história