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The glazed tile facade of an 1864 house located in the Square Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro impacts anyone who happens to pass by, whether its designs are masonic symbols or just alegories to Cience, Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, as in accordance with the different sources of information.
The Gothic ruins of the Church of Carmo will forever be a reminder of the devastating destruction of the 1755 earthquake. I haven't yet visited the Arqueological Museum which is housed in the Chapel that resisted to that destruction and which is said to have a fairly interesting collection of sarcophagi, amongst other ancient artefacs.
The 18th century Angelo Belasco designed fountain (left) in front of Carmo Church (right)
The views one gets from the Belvedere of São Pedro de Alcântara cover most areas from the Castle of São Jorge to the river Tagus with the Church of São Vicente de Fora in Graça and the Cathedral standing out in the intricate layout of the city.
The Basilica da Estrela, also known as Basilica do Sagrado Coração de Jesus (Basilica of the sacred heart of Jesus) was built between 1779 and 1790 under the orders of Queen Mary I of Portugal who having been childless for 10 years vowed to have it build should she bear a male heir to the throne.
The Basilica's portal played an important role in my life, once as a young teenager I got to meet my father for the first time right in front of it, following the death of my grandfather ... in what was to be the beginning of an "untimely" bond between the two of us. Ironically enough we were to "meet" her for the last time, whne one of the Basilica's Chapels later became his death chamber.
(To be continued)
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