Alfama | |
|---|---|
  _(cropped).jpg) | |
 Interactive map of Alfama | |
| Municipality | Lisbon |
| Freguesia | Santa Maria Maior São Vicente |
| Foundation | 1200 BCE |
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Alfama" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
TheAlfama (Portuguese pronunciation:[alˈfɐmɐ]) is the oldest neighborhood ofLisbon, spreading on the slope between theSão Jorge Castle and theTagus river. The district includes thefreguesias (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 ofFado bars and restaurants.
The nameAlfama originates from theArabical-ḥamma (الحَمّة), meaning "hot springs".[1][2] The Arabic word comes from theroot meaning "to heat" or "to become hot", from which the wordhammam (Arabic:حَمَّام,lit. 'bath, bathhouse') also derives.[3]
.png)
The Rua do Barão is one of the streets of the Freguesia daSé, 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 kingsDom Afonso V andDom João II, lived here.[4]
During the times ofMoorish rule, Alfama constituted the whole of the city, which later spread to the West (Baixa neighbourhood). Alfama became inhabited by the fishermen and the poor, and its condition as the neighbourhood of the poor continues to this day.[citation needed]
The1755 Lisbon earthquake 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 old houses and new restaurants whereFado is sometimes played.
Overlooking the Alfama is the medievalCastle 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 theMiradouro de Santa Luzia, near the church of the same name and over remnants of the Moorish city walls, and theMiradouro 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 thefreguesia ofSanta Maria Maior.[5]
Among the churches of the Alfama areLisbon Cathedral (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, themanneristMonastery of São Vicente de Fora (late 16th–18th century), where the Kings of theHouse of Braganza are buried, and thebaroqueChurch of Santa Engrácia (17th century), now converted into a National Pantheon for important Portuguese personalities.
 Lisbon topics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Main topics |  | |
| Neighbourhoods | ||
| Transportation | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
