Lisbon, Portugal – There is no stronger presence than his on the streets of the Portuguese capital. Whether one enjoys literature or not, it is impossible go to Lisbon and not feel close with Fernando Pessoa. The poet is there in the places he went to, the house he was born in, the neighbourhood where he lived before his death, the souvenir shops with his best known verses printed. To cap off this story of love and reverence, Pessoa did even more: he wrote his own tour guide for his city. The material, uncovered after his passing by researchers of his work, hit the bookstores under the title Lisbon – What the Tourist Must See, issued in Brazil by Companhia das Letras. Much more than the novelty factor, the work features an in-depth route of the main local attractions, from the sentimental perspective of one of the most illustrious Lisbon dwellers.
In his list of favourite places, the poet highlights two spots with special fondness: Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square), in the Baixa, a central area of the city, and Mosteiro dos Jerônimos (Monastery of the Hieronymuses), in the Belém neighbourhood, in which, by the way, his grave is located, in a more-than-fair tribute. To Pessoa, Praça do Comércio is the “greatest of Lisbon’s squares,” the one the Britons know as “Black Horse Square,” in addition to being “one of the world’s largest” and able to give an “extremely pleasant impression on the most demanding of tourists.” When faced with that view of the Tejo River, right in front, and the set of sculptures, such as the bronze statue of King D. José I and a horse, there is nothing to do but acknowledge that the writer did not exaggerate at all in his description.
In turn, the Mosteiro dos Jerônimos is described as “a masterpiece of stone which all tourists visit and never forget. And it is, in fact, the most notable monument the capital possesses.” This is true. The place, whose construction was announced in 1502 by order of King D. Manuel I, the site impresses for its size, the detailed façade and the vast interior. A detail: the local Chapel harbours the graves of poet Luís de Camões and of sailor Vasco da Gama. Pessoa’s own lies along one of the halls by the central patio, decorated with his own quotes. One of them to pique your desire to visit the monastery: “To be great, be whole.”
While on the topic of “grandeur,” another highlight, in fact another Lisbon classic: Castelo de São Jorge (the Castle of Saint George). According to Portugal’s most illustrious tour guide, the building was erected “by the Moors and, it seems, was a part of Lisbon’s forts, with its think walls, battlements, and towers. The kings made it their dwelling, and it also staged many notable events in the political history of Portugal.” Not convinced yet? “The view of the Castle is wonderful.” And wonderful it is. It will probably originate the best snapshots of your stay in the city.
After the poet’s tips of places he went to, it is crucial to guarantee a picture with his own sculpture, in front of the A Brasileira café, in Chiado, a central area, facing the metro station named after the neighbourhood. It was a mainstay of Pessoa’s. Not far from it, less than a ten-minute walk away, at Largo de São Carlos, a stylized image of the writer indicates that on the fourth storey of house number 4, on June 13, 1888, he was born. The building, a private property, is not open to the pubilc.
If one cannot visit his place of birth, how about a trip to Museu Casa Fernando Pessoa? The property, in the Estrela neighbourhood and easily reached by the electric (typical buses which are, in fact, trams) from the Centre, was the poet’s place of residence for his last 15 years (he died in 1935). Do not expect much from the collection, made of a few original items such as a chest of drawers and the books in the library. Go if you’re a fan. And if you’re interested in checking out delicate and interesting temporary exhibitions, such as children’s works on the author or photographs inspired by his work.
More than retracing Pessoa’s steps around the Portuguese capital, following the guide he wrote, tourists will have an even more inspired trip if they set out to find Pessoa’s Lisbon on their own. It is there in Mercearia do Chiado (grocery store), in the namesake neighbourhood, all decorated with his quotes on the walls, at the nearest bookstore, on each corner of the Centro that he probably passed through, by the Tejo, on the face of each Lisbon dweller, in the Portuguese sea, near the city’s exit, definitely dominated by the river. The river which belongs to Pessoa, to humanity, to the Portuguese soul. To the passionate visitor who, once there, shall be dying to come back.
Service:
Discover Lisbon
http://www.visitlisboa.com/Home_UK.aspx?lang=en-GB
Casa Fernando Pessoa Museum
http://casafernandopessoa.cm-lisboa.pt/
Mercearia do Chiado
http://www.merceariadochiado.com/
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
