Short History and Location: The name comes from “Olissipo”, which has its origins in the Phoenician words “Allis Ubbo”, meaning “enchanting port”. But Lisboa has, of course, strong Arabic influences; the Moors after all, occupied it for 450 years. In the 12th century the Christians re-conquered the city but it was not until the mid-13th century that Lisboa became the country’s capital.
During the 15th century, with the beginning of the Portuguese Age of Discoveries, Lisboa developed into a spice and jewellery trade centre. The breakthrough for Portuguese expansion came in 1498 when Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India . This was indeed the beginning of a golden age, characterised by the Manueline architectural style, named after King Manuel I, with its typical decorative use of maritime motifs.
Over the centuries Lisboa naturally grew and changed. When the city centre was almost completely destroyed by the great earthquake of 1755, the Marquês de Pombal, who thus created the Baixa Pombalina, a commercial area that still retains much of its original character, rebuilt it. But development did not stop there. The city has grown progressively to the north, and areas such as the Avenidas Novas and the site where Expo ’98 took place are typical of this development.
Demographic Information: Approximately 600,000 people live in Lisboa. However, if one includes the various satellite towns, the population of Greater Lisboa rises to approximately 2.1 million people.
Geographical Situation: Lisboa is the capital of Portugal and lies on the north bank of the Tagus Estuary, on the European Atlantic coast. It is the westernmost city in continental Europe . Greater Lisboa has an area of approximately 1,000 km2. The city lies more or less in the centre of the country, approximately 300 km from the Algarve in the south and 400 km from the northern border with Spain . Lisboa offers a wide variety of options to the visitor, including beaches, countryside, mountains and areas of historical interest only a few kilometres away from the city centre.
Site visits in town:
Museums:
- Arqueológico do Carmo;
- Arte Antiga;
- Caixa Geral de Depósitos;
- Casa Fernando Pessoa;
- Centro Cultural de Belém;
- Centro de Arte Moderna;
- Chiado;
- Cidade;
- Etnografia;
- Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian;
- Marinha;
- Marioneta;
- Nacional de Arqueologia;
- Nacional de Etnologia;
- Nacional do Azulejo;
- Nacional do Teatro;
- Nacional do Traje;
- Nacional dos Coches;
- Oriente;
- Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro;
- Traje.
Churches: Santa Maria de Belém; São Roque; Conceição Velha; Madre de Deus; Mosteiro São Vicente de Fora.
Monuments: Mosteiro do Jerónimos; Torre de Belém; Castelo de São Jorge; Padrão dos Descobrimentos; Centro Cultural de Belém; Sé.
Site visits out of town: Sintra, Mafra, Cascais, Palmela.
Entertainment (Cinema, Theatre brief information on places and student facilities)
At the University Campus there are two auditoriums, both of them equipped with the facilities for Cinema and Theatre.
In the city it will be very easy for students to find
Cinemas (Monumental; Edifício Saldanha Residence; Alfa; Mundial; Amoreiras; Nimas; Avila; Olivaishopping; Cinemateca de Lisboa; Quarteto; Colombo; São Jorge; Fonte Nova; Vasco da Gama; Londres),
Theatres Rooms (Teatro Aberto; Teatro de Bolso; Teatro da Juventude; Teatro Maria Vitória; Teatro Maria Matos; Teatro Trindade; Teatro Villaret; Casa da Comédia; Centro Cultural de Belém ; Cinearte; Parque das Nações; Culturgest; Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian – Centro de Arte Moderna, Teatro da Comuna, Teatro da Cornucópia, Teatro Estúdio, etc.) – with transportation facilities during the evening. The Summer Events could be also a very good entertainment for the students.
