The Alfama () is the oldest neighborhood of

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, spreading on the slope between the

São Jorge Castle Saint George's Castle ( pt, Castelo de São Jorge; ) is a historic castle in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, located in the ''freguesia'' of Santa Maria Maior. Human occupation of the castle hill dates to at least the 8th century BC while th ...

and the Tagus river. Its name comes from the Arabic ''al-ḥamma'' (), meaning "hot fountains" or "baths," akin to " hammam" (). The district includes the ''freguesias'' (parishes) of São Miguel, Santo Estêvão, São Vicente de Fora and part of the two streets, "Freguesia da Sé: Rua do Barão" and "Rua São João da Praça". It contains many important historical attractions, as well as an abundance of Fado bars and restaurants.

History

The Rua do Barão is one of the streets of the Freguesia da Sé, which begins at the Rua São João da Praça (where once stood the Door of the Alfama) and ends at Rua Augusto Rosa (at the Cathedral's walls). The toponym "Rua do Barão" is because João Fernandes da Silveira, the first Baron of Alvito, minister of Portuguese kings Dom Afonso V and Dom João II, lived here. During the times of Moorish rule, Alfama constituted the whole of the city, which later spread to the West (

Baixa The Baixa ''(Downtown)'' (), also known as the Baixa Pombalina (''Pombaline Downtown'') is a neighborhood in the historic center of Lisbon, Portugal. It consists of the grid of streets north of the Praça do Comércio, roughly between the Cais d ...

neighbourhood). Alfama became inhabited by the fishermen and the poor, and its condition as the neighbourhood of the poor continues to this day. The

1755 Lisbon earthquake The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, impacted Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula, and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40 local time. In combination with ...

did not destroy the Alfama, which has remained a labyrinth of narrow streets and small squares. Lately the neighbourhood has been restored with the renovation of the old houses and new restaurants where Fado Portuguese typical is sometimes played. Igreja de Santa Engrácia lisbon

Overlooking the Alfama is the medieval Castle of São Jorge, royal residence until the early 16th century with views of the city. In the slopes of Alfama there are other terraces (''miradouros'') from which to see the city, like the ''Miradouro de Santa Luzia'', near the church of the same name and over remnants of the Moorish city walls, and the ''Miradouro das Portas do Sol'' (Gates of the Sun). Near Miradouro of Santa Luzia is located the Museum of Decorative Arts (''Museu de Artes Decorativas''), a 17th-century mansion. From 2012, Alfama is part of the freguesia of Santa Maria Maior.Lei n.º 56/2012 (Reorganização administrativa de Lisboa)
''Diário da República'', 1.ª Série, n.º 216. Acedido a 25/11/2012.

Landmarks

Among the churches of the Alfama are

Lisbon Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Mary Major ( pt, Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa or ''Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Mary Major''), often called Lisbon Cathedral or simply the Sé ('), is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Lisbon, Portugal. The oldest churc ...

(12th–14th centuries), the oldest of the city and located to the West of the neighbourhood, the Convent of the Grace (''Convento da Graça'', 18th century), near the Castle, the mannerist

Monastery of São Vicente de Fora The Church and Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, meaning "Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls", is a 17th-century church and monastery in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is one of the most important monasteries and mannerist buildings in ...

(late 16th–18th century), where the Kings of the

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Ame ...

are buried, and the

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

Church of Santa Engrácia The Church of Santa Engrácia ( pt, Igreja de Santa Engrácia, ) is a 17th-century monument in Lisbon, Portugal. Originally a church it was converted into the National Pantheon (''Panteão Nacional'', ), in which important Portuguese personaliti ...

(17th century), now converted into a National Pantheon for important Portuguese personalities.

References

Districts of Lisbon {{coord, 38, 42, 44, N, 9, 07, 48, W, source:ptwiki, display=title