10 “secrets” that only those who are true fans of Lisbon know

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For many, the city has no mysteries, but there are secrets about Lisbon that we’re sure you’ ve never heard of.

The capital is a city full of mysteries, stories and corners that only the truly passionate know.

Far beyond the tourist postcards and traditional itineraries, there are little “secrets” hidden in alleys , discreet viewpoints, local traditions and authentic flavors that go unnoticed by most visitors.

In this article we’ve put together 10 of those secrets that only those who really feel Lisbon can say they know. Get ready to discover the most authentic, surprising and intimate side of the Portuguese capital!

Did you know that São Jorge Castle is “only” 80 years old?

The history of São Jorge Castle begins in the 7th and 2nd centuries B.C., as records indicate that during this period there was already a settlement on the castle hill.

During the Roman Empire, when Lisbon was “Olissipo”, this hilltop was called “Oppidum”, an expression that referred to the fortified area of the castle.

However, it wasn’t until the Muslim period, between the 7th and 11th centuries, that the walls were actually built. Thus, the first historical reference to the Castle is in a 12th century document by the Arab geographer Edrici.

After the conquest of Lisbon by King Afonso Henriques on October 25, 1147, São Jorge Castle experienced its golden age as a place reserved for the king and his court, which lasted until the beginning of the 16th century.

Over the centuries, the Castle underwent many interventions and alterations, most notably the effects of the earthquake of 1530, which destroyed part of the structure.

From the 16th century onwards, the king and his court abandoned the Castle to set up camp in the Paço da Ribeira, in Terreiro do Paço.

From then on, the Castle took on a military function that lasted until the end of the 19th century – in between, the 1755 earthquake that left the Castle area in ruins, a growing degradation of the space and the total inoperability of the military structures.

The Santa Justa Elevator is also known as the Carmo Elevator

Because it connects Rua do Ouro, in downtown Lisbon, to Largo do Carmo, Lisboners quickly began to nickname the Elevador de Santa Justa as the Elevador do Carmo, perhaps because the association of the streets is easier for everyone to understand, including explaining to tourists how to get from one street to the other using this means of transportation.

Did you know that Parliament was once a monastery?

This is undoubtedly one of Lisbon’s secrets! The Parliament is located in the São Bento Palace, a former Benedictine monastery built at the end of the 16th century to house the black monks of Tibães.

After the religious orders were abolished in 1883, the building became the Palácio das Cortes, with the Chamber of Peers and the Chamber of Deputies.

Before it became Parliament, it was also used as a prison, an inn, a burial place for strangers, a refuge, a depository for the wreckage of military regiments, a military academy and a patriarchal house.

The Ajuda Botanical Garden is the oldest garden in the country

Planted by the Marquis of Pombal in 1768, it is the oldest garden in Portugal and was designed by the Italian botanist Domingos Vandelli.

If you’ve never visited, we recommend you do so as soon as possible. If you already know it, it ‘s one of those walks that’s always worthwhile, isn’t it?

The first romantic palace in Europe was Pena, in Sintra

Already considered one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal, the Pena Palace is one of the best expressions of 19th century Romanticism in the world, as it was the first romantic palace in Europe, built 30 years before the charismatic Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria.

This is home to the country’s largest collection of baroque tiles

The Monastery of São Vicente de Fora houses the largest collection of Baroque tiles in Portugal and the second largest in the world.

The tiles are in situ, i.e. in their original location, and correspond to the various phases of Portuguese Baroque tiles, from the 17th to the 19th century.

The first inventory was made in 1912 and included 120,000 tiles, with an estimated 20,000 having been lost over time.

Today, the exact number is unknown, but it is estimated that there are more than 100,000.

Did you know that the Roman Galleries were discovered by accident?

This structure was discovered by accident shortly after the 1755 earthquake, when the owner of a building on Rua da Prata began work on the building’s foundations, and it has remained one of Lisbon’s great secrets to this day.

At that time they discovered some objects, such as a plaque evoking the God Aesculapius, which was at the origin of the first theory of the Roman Baths, associating the God of Medicine with the possible function of this place.

The south portal of the Jeronimo Monastery is not the main entrance

It’s smaller and less ostentatious than the South Portal, from an architectural and theological point of view, but the South Portal is the real main door to the Jerónimos Mon astery. Is it or isn’t it one of Lisbon’s greatest secrets?

The Christ the King was sculpted by hand

The construction of the Christ the King monument took 10 years, from 1949 to 1959. Approximately 40,000 tons of concrete were used to build Christ the King.

The figure was sculpted by hand on the structure itself, more than a hundred meters off the ground. Plaster molds were used.

The Vasco da Gama bridge can withstand wind gusts of 250km/h

When it was being built, the engineers tried to create a robust bridge, capable of withstanding bad weather and catastrophes: the Vasco da Gama Bridge can withstand wind gusts of 250km/h and was designed to withstand an earthquake 4.5 times stronger than the Lisbon earthquake of 1755.

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