The 5 most intruiging statues in Lisbon

This statue is Lisbon’s tribute to the resourceful and implacable marquis of Pombal, who was the prime minister at the time of the 1755 earthquake and later directed the city’s urban renewal. He stands 40 metres high on top of a stone pedestal with a lion by his side.

The imposing bronze statue of King Pedro IV stands 27,5 metres high, ruling over the square of Rossio. Pedro was the 28th king of Portugal and also the first emperor of Brazil, which makes him a very unique figure in Portuguese history.

Most locals have no idea that Lisbon has a statue by leading Colombian artist Fernando Botero. This valuable public artwork depicting motherhood was made in 1989 and stands in the Amália Rodrigues garden, in the Edward the 7th park. It’s a bronze piece and a great example of Botero’s iconic artistic style.

Lisboa was created by José de Guimarães, one of Portugal’s leading contemporary artists, as an ode to the people who build cities. In red and green, the colours of the Portuguese flag, the statue shows a feminine figure leaning towards the river with her arms wide open.

Terreiro do Paço square has at its central point an equestrian statue of King José I, the monarch at the time of the 1755 earthquake. The bronze statue was designed by sculptor Machado de Castro. The king refused to pose for it, leaving the artist no choice but to rely solely on portraits.