Lisboa Architecture Tours

Avenida da Liberdade is Lisbon’s major boulevard. Its construction dates back to the late 19th century and it draws a straight path from the historic Pombaline area to the city’s modern expansion towards the north. The construction of the boulevard, with its beautiful trees, gardens, sculptures and decorated pavements, was contemporaneous with the rise of a wealthy bourgeoisie class who built their town palaces and rental apartments in Avenida da Liberdade. Its proximity to the Rossio railway station led to the establishment of several luxury hotels and shops, as well as cinemas and theatres. The most popular Lisbon’s revue and variété district – Parque Mayer – is located along Avenida da Liberdade. Throughout the 20th century, the avenue developed as a very charismatic site, representing luxury, prestige, and elegance. Today, it is still Lisbon’s more exquisite artery. Exploring the architecture of Avenida da Liberdade is like entering a retrospective exhibitio

The Cine-Teatro Capitólio is the landmark of Parque Mayer - Lisbon’s most popular revue and variéte district along Avenida da Liberdade. The building was designed by Luís Cristino da Silva in 1929 and inaugurated in 1931. After its closure in 1980, the building went in decay, having been inscribed in the World Monuments Watch List in 2006. In November 2016, the Capitólio finally reopened to the public with a renovation project by the architect Alberto Souza Oliveira. The Parque Mayer was built on the former gardens of an eclectic town palace, awarded with the first Valmor Prize in 1902 and whose owner was Adolfo de Lima Mayer. Its foundation dates back to the 1930’s, with the construction of several Art Deco and modernist buildings.  The Capitólio occupies the central area of Parque Mayer and was the first modernist Portuguese work, integrating the most innovative concepts, functionalities and technologies (José Manuel Fernandes, in T rês Modernistas – arquitectura