The Marquess of Pombal Square is an important
roundabout in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is located between the
Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue) and the Eduardo VII Park.
The
square is the radiating point for various important avenues: Liberdade,
Duque de Loulé and Fontes Pereira de Melo, as well as the streets
Braamcamp and Joaquim António de Aguiar.
Its name is a reference to
Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquess of Pombal, 1st Count of
Oeiras, the mighty prime-minister who ruled Portugal from 1750 to 1777.
In the middle of the roundabout there is a large column dedicated to
him, built between 1917 and 1934 and created by Adães Bermudes, António
Couto and Francisco Santos. A bronze statue of the Marquess is on the
top, with a lion - symbol of power - by his side. The Marquis is shown
looking towards the Baixa Pombalina, the area of Lisbon that was rebuilt
under his direction after the disastrous 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.
Text:© Nuno Trindade
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