Joao selected his own topic but as it happens, he selected very well. The square's name refers to the time of the restoration in 1640, the reestablishment of Portuguese independence after decades of Spanish rule. The successful revolt against Spain is still celebrated today, in the Praça dos Restauradores, as a national holiday. If I get a chance to be in Lisbon, December will be the most exciting time. Now, over to Joao.
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In this guest post let me take you on a small walk on the surroundings of my favourite square in Lisbon's downtown, the Restauradores Plaza. Very easy to reach using the subway, this spot it is home to several beautiful pieces of architecture. The Avenida Palace Hotel building is for me the one that marks the place - built more than a hundred years ago, it is neo-classic style is still nowadays absolutely amazing.
Avenida Palace
Walking only a few dozen metres, we can stop at the Rossio's Plaza entrance. Surrounded by a set of very old buildings (dated from around 1800) it is a very nice place to visit - special attention to the Theatre building (in the photo to the left) and to the view of the castle.
Named after Saint George, the castle is called "Castelo de São Jorge" in Portuguese and the fortress itself is also a must see place - very well preserved and with one of the best Lisbon views. In a more historical note it was originally called the Moorish Castle and it was conquered by the first Portuguese king, D. Afonso Henriques, in 1147 after resisting a siege for more than three months.
Castle
Patios
Well, for now it's all. It was a pleasure sharing with you this small piece of my town. Hope you liked the mini-tour and I'm counting with some of you to increase our tourist numbers here in Lisbon ok ;)
Regards & Cheers,
Joao
Vacation and Travel Photos
