4.1.1 Praça do Comércio

Location HERE.

We’re starting from the Praça do Comércio at the south end of the Baixa Pombalina, or Pombaline Downtown. It’s where the city meets the river, and you should spend a few minutes taking in the view across to the South Side. Unless the weather is seriously bad, it’s easy to pick out Cristo Rei, the monument to Christ The King, which is meant to echo Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) in Rio de Janeiro. The Bridge, which began life as Ponte Salazar and is now Ponte 25 de Abril, is also easily identifiable.


The area is also known as Terreiro do Paço; this is a pre-1755 allusion, as it is talking about the Land of the Palace. The palace that once stood at the west side of where Praça do Comércio is now was flattened by the Great Earthquake in that year. Even so, the current ferry terminal and adjacent Metro station still use that name.


At the north-west corner of the square is a plaque commemorating the regicide of 1 February 1908: Carlos I and his heir apparent were assassinated while passing through en route from the ferry terminal to their Palace. The monarchy staggered on for another 33 months before expiring, with the 5 October 1910 declaration of the First Republic.



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