LISBON - Portugal - page 42

world's first quake-proof buildings. In 1777, the king died and the controversial Pom-
bal was dismissed.
• Continue downhill 50 yards farther, passing the trolley tracks, to reach a superb Alfama
viewpoint at...
LargoSantaLuzia: From this square (a stop for trolleys #12E and #28E), admire
the panoramic view from the small terrace, Miradouro de Santa Luzia, where old-timers
play cards amid lots of tiles.
In the distance to the left, the Vasco da Gama Bridge (opened in 1998, described
on here ) connects Lisbon with new, modern bedroom communities south of the river.
Below, the purple building with the green shades marks the square called Largo de São
Miguel—the center of the Alfama. Where the Alfama neighborhood hits the river, notice
the relatively new embankment. It reclaimed 100 yards of land from the river to make
a modern port, used these days by large cruise ships. The huge building dominating the
neighborhood on the far left is the Monastery of São Vicente, constructed around 1600 by
the Spanish king, Philip II, who wanted to leave his mark with this tribute to St. Vincent.
Look at the church on the square you're on; find the wall of 18th-century tiles on the
riverside façade that show Praça do Comércio before the 1755 earthquake. The 16th-cen-
tury royal palace (shown on the left of the tilework, where the king went after abandoning
the castle) was completely destroyed in the quake. Farther on, another tile panel depicts
the reconquest of Lisbon from the Moors by Afonso Henriques, described earlier. For
an even better city view, hike around the church and walk out to the seaside end of the
Miradouro de Largo das Portas do Sol catwalk. At the kiosk café on the terrace, you can
have the most scenic cup of coffee in town (daily 10:00-18:00).
• Across the street from the café, you'll find the...
Museum and School of Portuguese Decorative Arts (Museu Escola de Artes
Decorativas Portuguesas): This museum offers a unique stroll through an aristocratic
household, richly decorated in 16th- to 19th-century styles. In 1947, Ricardo do Espirito
Santo Silva restored this Azurura Palace to house his collection of 15th- to 18th-century
fine art, and then willed it to the state. He created perhaps the best chance for visitors to
experience what an aristocratic home looked like during Lisbon's glory days. The coach
at the ground level is “Berlin style,” with a state-of-the-art suspension system. The grand
stairway leads past 18th-century glazed tiles (Chinese-style blue-and-white was in vogue)
upstairs into a world rich in colonial riches. Portuguese aristocrats had a flair for “Indo-
Portuguese” decorative arts: exotic woods, shells, and Oriental porcelain (€4, Wed-Mon
10:00-17:00, closed Tue, Largo das Portas do Sol 2, tel. [phone], www.fress.pt ).