Portugal – Lisbon and Alentejo

Bridges and Engineering Structures

The 25th of April Bridge, which was inaugurated under the name Salazar Bridge on 6 August 1966 and changed to the current name after the revolution of 25 April 1974, is a road-rail suspension bridge linking Lisbon to Almada and is a fundamental element of the country's transportation system.

Some positive consequences resulted from this crossing, in particular as regards the increase in urban development that emerged on the South bank of the Tagus River, from Almada to Setúbal, as well as stimulated economic growth and tourism in southern Portugal.

At the time of its inauguration, the 25th of April Bridge was the fth largest suspension bridge in the world and the largest outside the United States.

50 Years of the Cristo Rei Sanctuary

In 1934, the then Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon Manuel Gonçalves Cerejeira visited Brazil and, passing through Rio de Janeiro, saw the image of the imposing sculpture of Christ the Redeemer. This work gave rise to the desire to build a similar piece of work in Portugal. In 1936, this idea was sent to the "Apostleship of Prayer," which received it enthusiastically. To be National, the Monument needed the approval and cooperation of all the Portuguese Bishops which was achieved.

In 1939, the Second World War began and it was during this period that the idea of the construction of the Christ the King monument gained a new meaning and vigour.

A vote expressed by the Portuguese episcopate gathered in Fátima in 1940, led to the building of the monument to Christ the King as a way of expressing gratitude for the gift of peace.

Thanks to the contributions from all the Portuguese, it was possible to build this magni cent monument that was inaugurated on 17 May 1959.

The Ships Sagres and Creoula

On 30 October 1937 the current Ship of the Portuguese Republic, NRP Sagres, was launched to sea. Until the end of World War II it served as a training ship for the German Navy. It was transferred to Brazil in 1948, adopting the name of Guanabara. Until 1961, it was part of the Brazilian Navy, at which point Portugal acquired it to replace the old Sagres.

On 8 February 1962 it joined the ships of the Portuguese Navy. By replacing the old Sagres, it inherited more than the name: it also gained the emblem of the Christ Cross, which features on the sails, and the e gy of Henry the Navigator which it displays as a gurehead.

A national symbol, its mission goes beyond the instruction of cadets. It represents the Navy and the country, taking the culture and values of Portuguese communities worldwide.

UNESCO World Heritage – Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Forti cations
Listed on 30 June 2012 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Elvas is a city with important historical and heritage features due to its seventeenth and eighteenth century forti cations.

The pillory of Elvas was erected in the 16th century, in Praça Nova (New square), the current Praça da República (Republic square) where he was until 1872, when it was destroyed. Part of what's left of the pillory was kept in the Municipal Museum.

In the 20th century, the reconstruction of this pillory using parts left over from the original and replacing the missing, having been placed in the Largo de Santa Clara.

This monument has a markedly Manueline style and is one of the symbols of the city.

500th Anniversary of the Torre de Belém

Built by King Manuel I, the Tower of Belém is one of the most important monuments in Lisbon. Constructed between 1514 and 1519 under the guidance of architect Francisco Arruda, it is an expressive testimony of military architecture and an architectural gem of the reign of Manuel I.

The Tower of Belém was part of a tripartite system of defence between the bulwark of Cascais and the fortress of São Sebastião da Caparica on the opposite bank of the river.

Over time, the Tower of Belém lost its defensive role of the mouth of the Tagus.
In 1907, the Tower of Belém was declared a National Monument and in 1983 it was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today it is recognised as a symbol of Portuguese cultural heritage and of the great Portuguese sea voyages of the fteenth and sixteenth centuries.