Marques de Pombal, Parque Eduoardo VII- Avenida Liberdad, Statue of 1st Marquis of Pombal
Av. Liberdade, Lisbon's leading avenue, leads Northwest to Parque Eduardo VII, an elegant park that is sloping downwards towards the Tagus river and old town, a gracious sight from its highest peak since there are very few trees. There is a fountain monument, Miradouro Parque Eduoardo VII with two high twin column sculptures on each side, on the highest peak of the park. The park was named after the British king Edward VII of the United Kingdom who visited Portugal in 1902. Until that visit, its name was Liberty Park (Parque da Liberdade). At Rua Castillo, on the West side of the park you find some of the most expensive hotels in Lisbon, such as the Ritz Four Seasons (a dull white modernist building from the late 1950s, that houses the most luxurious hotel in the city, it has a jogging path on the roof) and the InterContinental Lisbon (a modern5-star highrise hotel). The baroque yellow building Carlos Lopes Pavilion is in the East side of the park, as well aas some restaurants and cafés. The pavilion has been used for different purposes, and crossed the Atlantics for the International Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, where it stood as the sports pavilion between 1922-29. On the East side of the park is Av. Sidónio Pais. To the North of the park is a castle like prizon and a long brutalist courthouse building. In the park is also the large Estufa Fria indoor greenhouse garden. Between the park and Av. Liberdad is Praca de Marquês de Pombal, a circular trafficated square with a high sculpture of Marquês de Pombal (1st Marquis of Pombal) in the middle. The marquis and prime minister of Pombal, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, is looking towards the distric the rebuilt the large 1755 earthquake, Baixa Pombal, with Avenida Liberdad in the middle. Many of Lisbon's double decked tour buses stops at Marquês de Pombal and there are restaurants and banks around the circlular square. Northeast of this circle is Av. Fontes Pereira de Melo, that changes name to the impressive Avenida Republica and some other avenues that are among the widest and most trafficated in Lisbon. This area is called Avenidas Novas. |