The principal monumental gateway between the great riverside Praca do Comercio square and the historic central Baixa district of Lisbon, the Arco da Rua Augusta is one of the most distinctive single architectural landmarks of the post-1755 Pombaline reconstruction of the Portuguese capital. The arch carries the principal northern entrance to the great square from the central commercial Rua Augusta pedestrian street and was completed in 1873 after a substantial reconstruction period spanning over a century. The original masterplan of the post-earthquake reconstruction of central Lisbon was drawn up between 1755 and 1758 by the chief reconstruction architects Eugenio dos Santos and Carlos Mardel, working under the direct supervision of the Marques de Pombal. The original plan included a substantial new triumphal arch at the southern end of Rua Augusta marking the principal ceremonial entrance to the new central commercial Baixa district. The construction of the lower base sections of the arch began in 1759 and proceeded slowly through the following century. The principal current upper sections of the arch were completed in stages between 1862 and 1873 to substantially revised designs by the Portuguese architect Verissimo Jose da Costa. The new design substantially expanded the original height of the arch from the modest twenty metres of the original Pombaline scheme to the current thirty metres of the completed monument. The current height makes the arch one of the most prominent individual vertical landmarks anywhere in the central Baixa district. The famous upper pediment sculptural programme combines the standard allegorical female figures of the classical European baroque tradition with the specific historical figures of the wider Portuguese maritime and political tradition. The central crowning sculpture by Anatole Calmels shows Glory in the form of a winged victory crowning the seated figures of Genius and Valour, with the supplementary reclining river gods and standing historical figures spread along the principal frieze line beneath. A small museum on the principal lower internal level of the arch interprets the wider context of the post-1755 reconstruction of central Lisbon, with several supplementary displays covering the principal sculptural programme of the wider monument. The continuing internal lift then provides direct access to the famous upper viewing terrace, which has been open to the public continuously since 2013 and provides one of the principal panoramic viewing positions over the central Baixa district and the Tagus River.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Rua Augusta 2-10, Lisbon, Portugal

Opening Date: 01/01/1873