Graça is the name of
the district that is located
on a hill above the
castle of "São Jorge", bordering Alfama. If in "Portas do Sol" instead of going for "rua das Escolas Gerais",
we continue to walk in "rua S. Tomé" we'll arrive in "largo
da Graça". In "largo da Graça" we can
easily find the homonymous miradouro with its church and outdoor
bar. Resting or drinking a coffee
in the shade of the trees, maybe listening to the music of some street
artist, is a great way to "take a break" from the fatigue
and exhaustion that always involves a visit
to the city. From
the top of the miradouro you can see the Baixa district, but also the opposite hills,
and even the dome of the "Basilica da Estrela".
Continuing along the narrow streets of Graça is possible find another wonderful miradouro (perhaps
my favorite), namely "Senhora do Monte", with its garden and church. In this bairro
there is also the famous monastery of
"São Vicente de Fora",
one of the oldest and most beautiful of
the entire capital. At its base
there is an aquifer and, after
visiting the various rooms and cloisters of the monastery, you can go up to the terrace, from where you can enjoy a fantastic 360 ° view of
the city.
Like its neighbor Alfama also
Graça is experiencing a sort of "depopulation" due to the
uncomfortable accessibility of
the area, and for this reason many houses are empty and rents are very cheap, but the "bairro"
is regularly full of people every week thanks to the "Feira da Ladra".
"Feira da Ladra" is a market where you can find everything, and every object has a story (often invented),
there are old cameras, books, antiques, clothes and many others stuff. Sometimes there is a little "cheat"
and sometimes the objects are stolen, but
everyone is free to bring their
used goods and try to sell them.
In ancient times, some rich and
influential nobles have built their homes in
this district close to downtown, so is possible find unexpectedly beautiful
buildings colored by their azulejos. "Villa Berta" is a typical example,
a majestic "villa" that runs
completely across a street and it gives
its name. During the feast of St. Anthony (patron of the city) the road is
off-limits to the cars, therefore is
possible to stop and eat at the
tables, placed in the middle of
the street, listening to live music played from the balconies of
the villa.
