Ride to the top of the Arc de Triomphe de la Rua Augusta in Lisbon and enjoy an incredible 360° view of the port and beyond.
Located at the northern end of the Praça do Comércio on the Rua Augusta in Lisbon and near the Tage, the triumphal arc of the Rua Augusta (Arco da Rua Augusta) dating from the nineteenth century is a symbol of the reconstruction of the Portuguese capital after the violent earthquake of 1755. The ark was officially completed only in 1875. The construction of the Arc de Triomphe on Augusta Street was a way to symbolize the renaissance of the city.
If you can admire the arc of triumph from Praça do Comércio and Rue Augusta, did you know that you can visit the ark and climb to its top?
The Ascension of the Arc de Triomphe of the Rua Augusta
Photo credit: Flickr – Allan Watt
The columns that support the ark are decorated with statues of the Portuguese sculptor Vítor Bastos (1832-1894) of several Portuguese historical figures including the Marquis de Pombal, Vasco da Gama, General Nuno Álvares Pereira and Viriatus, who resisted the Roman conquest of Portugal.
Since August 2013, it is possible to take a lift to a spacious and fresh room, on the stone floor, under the window, in which we can see the mechanism of the arched clock of the Rua Augusta. The current clock was made in Portugal in 1941. Inside the clock room, you will learn more about the history of the arch since its construction, after the earthquake of 1755, until the end of the work in 1875.
Photo credit: Flickr – Stròlic Furlàn – Davide Gabino
The continuation of the visit of the triumphal arch continues by the climb of the spiral staircase to the top of the building. Once there, enjoy it to admire the colossal statues of the French sculptor Célestin Anatole Calmels represent the Glory, curling the Genie and the Value.
The triumphal arch offers a 360° panoramic view of the Praça do Comércio and the Tage in the south, the Baixa district in the north, to the west the ruins of the Convento do Carmo and the Bairro Alto district as well as to the east on Alfama, the Se (the Cathedral of Lisbon) and the Château Saint-Georges .
Inside the arc
The mechanism of the clock
At the top of the arc of triumph
It should be noted that the text at the top of the bow refers to the Portuguese colonial empire and the discovery of new peoples and cultures:
« VIRTVTIBVS MAIORVM VT SIT OMNIBVS DOCVMENTO.PPD » that is, “The virtues of the elders, to serve as a teaching to all” .
During the summer months, the ark acts as a screen for the projection of a night video and a light show on the history of Lisbon.
Arc de triumph de la rua Augusta : Rates, timetables...
The Arc de Triomphe is open every day from 9am to 7pm. No access is provided for people with reduced mobility, as the Arc de Triomphe was not originally built to accommodate visitors.
Admission for an adult is 2.50€ and access is free for children under the age of 5.
Admission is free if you have the Lisboa Card , which allows you to free access to the essential monuments of Lisbon and public transport.
Main photo credit: Flickr – mr.donb
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