Lisbon in the 1950s

And just like that, the ESPC will take you from the Riesengebirge to the Atlantic Ocean, specifically, Portugal's metropolis

While I’m short on time this Saturday evening, I might draw your attention to the following five postcards from the 1950s—and they do show Lisbon in quite a special light…but do check them out yourselves, won’t you?

First up, King Pedro IV Square, popularly known as Rossio, which is a square in the Pombaline Downtown of Lisbon, Portugal. According to Wikipedia, “it has been one of its main squares since the Middle Ages. It has been the setting of popular revolts and celebrations, bullfights and executions, and is now a preferred meeting place of Lisbon natives and tourists alike. The square is named after to Pedro IV, King of Portugal. The Column of Pedro IV is in the middle of the square.”

Next up, a partial view of St Jorge’s, or George’s, Castle, which, as per Wikipedia,

is a historic castle in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, located in the freguesia of Santa Maria Maior…the oldest fortifications on the site date from the 2nd century BC.^[3] The hill on which Saint George's Castle stands has played an important part in the history of Lisbon, having served as the location of fortifications occupied successively by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors, before its conquest by the Portuguese in the 1147 Siege of Lisbon. Since the 12th century, the castle has variously served as a royal palace, a military barracks, home of the Torre do Tombo National Archive, and now as a national monument and museum.

Next up, an area that’s a bit trickier to identify as that square has since been renamed (but I found some pertinent information on the German Wikipedia, which I’m translating here):

Praça Francisco Sá Carneiro is a central square on the north-eastern edge of the centre of the Portuguese capital Lisbon. It was laid out between 1938 and 1949 and was initially called Praça do Areeiro from 1947. It was given its current name on 5 April 1982 in memory of the Prime Minister Francisco Sá Carneiro (1934-1980), who died in a plane crash.

Next up, the Estrela Basilica or Royal Basilica and Convent of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a minor basilica and ancient carmelite convent in Lisbon. More via Wikipedia:

Ordered built by Queen Maria I of Portugal as the fulfilment of a vow, the Basilica is not only a product of the Queen's particularly fervent devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but remains the most important architectural endeavour of her reign. The Estrela Basilica was the first church in the world dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Estrela Basilica was constructed in the late 18th century.

Finally, something that doesn’t require much of an explanation (but here’s the gist from Wikipedia anyways for completeness’ sake):

Belém Tower (literally: Bethlehem Tower), officially the Tower of Saint Vincent (Portuguese: Torre de São Vicente) is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.^[2][3] This tower symbolizes Portugal's maritime and colonial power in early modern Europe. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance, and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style,^[4] but it also incorporates other architectural styles, such as the minarets, which are inspired by Moorish architecture.^[5] The structure was built from lioz limestone and is composed of a bastion and a 30-metre (100 ft),^[6] four-storey tower.

That’s it for now—but I’ll post some more colourful 1960s and 1970s postcards next.