Avenida da Liberdade

Avenida da Liberdade (Portuguese for "Avenue of Liberty") is a boulevard in central Lisbon, Portugal. It is one of the most expensive streets in Europe, with property costing over €9,000 per sqm.^[1]

Avenida da Liberdade

View of Avenida da Liberdade from Marquis of Pombal Square to the Tagus River.
Length	1,100 m (3,600 ft)
Width	90 m (300 ft)
Construction
Completion	1886
Demolition/Conversion of the Passeio Público	1879

The avenue was built on the former site of the Passeio Público, an 18th-century park built for the Portuguese nobility. The construction took place between 1879 and 1886. Originally, the park was on the northern periphery of Lisbon, but was converted into a major boulevard as the city expanded north during the 19th Century. The Avenida da Liberdade is also home to numerous embassies and diplomatic missions to Portugal.^[2][3]

The Avenida connects Marquis of Pombal Square in the north to Restauradores Square, marking the entrance to the Lisbon Baixa neighborhood.

History

The Monument to World War I, in front of the Spanish embassy (right) and an apartment building (left).

The Avenida is lined with numerous monuments to writers and musical composers, from Portugal and abroad.

The Avenida da Liberdade and the Restauradores Square have their origins in the Passeio Público, a public park inaugurated in the area in 1764, a project led by Pombaline architect, Reinaldo Manuel. The park was initially surrounded by a high wall, but it was revamped in the 1830s and 1840s by architect Malaquias Ferreira Leal. Ferreira introduced a new arrangement of the flora, fountains, a waterfall, and statues. The allegoric statues, representing the Tagus and Douro rivers, still exist in the boulevard of the Avenida date from this time.^[when?] Over time, monuments and statues that pay homage to writers Almeida Garrett andAlexandre Herculano have been added to the boulevard. The prominent memorial to the fallen in World War I, inaugurated in 1931, is the work of Rebelo de Andrade and Maximiano Alves.

The Avenida was built between 1879 and 1886, modeled after the boulevards of Paris.^[4] Plans were made to expand further north, through what is the present central lawn lane of Eduardo VII Park. However, these plans were abandoned in the 1960s.

Many of the original buildings of the Avenida have been demolished in the last few decades and replaced by modern offices and hotel buildings.

Commercial profile

Prada's boutique on the Avenida.

The Cartier flagship store on the Avenida.

Avenida da Liberdade's central location and proximity to places such as the Chiado district, Marquis of Pombal Square, Queen Maria II National Theatre, the Avenidas Novas, Eduardo VII Park, the Lisbon Baixa, and others, have contributed to its commercial development.

The Avenida is known for its concentration of high-end retail stores and international designer brands including Louis Vuitton, Prada, Christian Dior, Chanel, Versace, Balmain, Gucci, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, Tod's, Ermenegildo Zegna, Molteni&C, and Burberry.^[5][6]

There are also hotels operated by Sofitel, Tivoli Hotels & Resorts, Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection, and Eurostars Hotels.

Transportation

The Avenida serves as a major transport route in central Lisbon, with connections to the Avenidas Novas, Lisbon Baixa, Chiado, Bairro Alto, and beyond.

There are three Lisbon Metro stations along the Avenida:^[7]

• Restauradores at the southeast end, under Restauradores Square, served by the blue line.
• Avenida at about the midpoint of the avenue, served by the blue line.
• Marquês de Pombal at the northwest end, under Marquês de Pombal Square, served by the blue and yellow lines.

Gallery

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  Hotel Heritage
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  Monument to António Feliciano de Castilho
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  Luxury hotel
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  Monument to World War I
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  Monument to Alexandre Herculano