Campo de Ourique & Amoreiras, Lisbon

Campo de Ourique and Amoreiras

Campo de Ourique and Amoreiras is a neighborhood situated on one of Lisbon’s hills and entrances, before Marquês de Pombal Square. Campo de Ourique is an area known for the Amoreiras shopping center, the first shopping center built in Portugal in 1985, and the Lycée Français Charles Lepierre, considered one of the best schools in Portugal. Campo de Ourique is integrated into the parish of Campolide, one of the access points from the south and west to Lisbon. Daily during peak hours, from 6 PM onwards, this area becomes impassable due to cars leaving Lisbon towards the surrounding cities: the A5 highway connects to Cascais and Sintra. Amoreiras is a commercial area due to the presence of the Amoreiras Shopping Center, a location with important business offices and luxury tourism, four and five-star hotels, namely the Ritz, Tivoli, Dom Pedro Lisboa Hotels, and other notable hotels. Campo de Ourique and Amoreiras is considered a glamorous area with luxury gastronomy due to the presence of several restaurants, notably Eleven and La Trattoria. It is a residential area due to the Campo de Ourique neighborhood and a multicultural area due to the presence of the Lisbon Central Mosque. Campo de Ourique is definitely a modern location chosen by many business travelers visiting Lisbon.

Campo de Ourique is administered by the Junta de Freguesia de Campo de Ourique.

Attractions to visit in Campo de Ourique and Amoreiras (top 10)

1. Amoreiras Shopping Center is a shopping mall and one of the symbolic spaces of the city of Lisbon, located on Avenida Duarte Pacheco. The Amoreiras Shopping Center was inaugurated in 1985 with a project by architect Tomás Taveira, being at the time the first shopping center in Portugal and the fourth largest in Europe. The Amoreiras Shopping Center is currently very popular with Portuguese and tourists. The main attractions are:

• Amoreiras 360º Panoramic View, a viewpoint located at the top of the Amoreiras Towers, approximately 17 meters high. Access to the viewpoint is via the 2nd floor of the Amoreiras Shopping Center, offering a 360º view over the city of Lisbon, including: the Tagus River, the 25 de Abril Bridge, Christ the King, São Jorge Castle, Estrela Basilica, Lisbon Cathedral, Marquês de Pombal roundabout, or Eduardo VII Park;
• The presence of over two hundred stores from national and international brands, especially Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss;
• A dining area of over three thousand square meters, where it is possible to enjoy Portuguese and foreign cuisine in restaurants such as O Madeirense, Black House, O Barbatana, or Serra da Estrela.

2. Aqueduto das Águas Livres is a water supply system for the city of Lisbon, located in the Alcântara Valley. The Aqueduct was built starting in 1731 with a project by António Cannevari, Manuel da Maia, and Carlos Mardel, becoming operational in 1748. It has a length of 58 km distributed over 127 arches, with the main section in the Alcântara Valley having 36 arches and the highest arch reaching an altitude of 65 meters. The Aqueduto das Águas Livres was deactivated in 1973 and opened to the public for visits in 1986. The main highlights of the Aqueduct are the Water Museum; the Mãe d’Água das Amoreiras; and the Patriarcal Reservoir in Príncipe Real Garden.

3. Igreja do Santo Condestável is a Christian temple built to honor Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira (1360-1431), located in Campo de Ourique. The church was inaugurated in 1951 with a project by Vasco Morais Palmeiro (Regaleira), featuring a Latin cross with three naves. The main highlights of the Igreja do Santo Condestável are the Main Facade with statues representing the Angel of Portugal on the left and Saint Michael the Archangel on the right, by Leopoldo de Almeida; the High Chapel with a Fresco depicting the glorification of Blessed Nuno de Santa Maria, by painters Portela Júnior and Joaquim Rebocho; the Stained Glass Windows representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Heart of Mary, the Angel’s Annunciation, by Almada Negreiros; and the Relics of the Holy Constable.

4. Casa-Museu Amália Rodrigues is a museum space dedicated to preserving the work of fado singer Amália Rodrigues, located on Rua de São Bento. The House-Museum, the singer’s former residence, was inaugurated in 1999. The main highlights of the Casa-Museu Amália Rodrigues are the living room, the bedroom, the decor with a fado theme, and a small outdoor garden.

5. Mercado Municipal de Campo de Ourique is one of the most important markets in Lisbon, located on Rua Coelho da Rocha. The original market was inaugurated in 1934, declared heritage of the Lisbon City Council in 1973, and relaunched in 2013 inspired by the Mercado da Ribeira. The main highlights of the Mercado Municipal de Campo de Ourique are the traditional stalls selling fish and vegetables; and the 16 diverse gastronomic spaces.

6. Casa Fernando Pessoa is a museum dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the life and work of the Lisbon writer Fernando Pessoa, located on Rua Coelho da Rocha. Casa Fernando Pessoa was where Fernando Pessoa lived for the last fifteen years of his life. Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935) is one of the most well-known Portuguese writers worldwide. The Portuguese writer was born in Lisbon in a house opposite the São Carlos National Theatre, spent his childhood years in South Africa, where his stepfather was the Portuguese Consul in Durban, and lived in rooms and apartments in Lisbon until his death in 1935 on Rua Conde da Rocha. Fernando Pessoa published several works, including “The Book of Disquiet” in 1913, “Mensagem” in 1934, founded the publishing house Olisipo in 1921, and the magazine “Atena” in 1924. The main highlights of the Casa Fernando Pessoa are: the furniture used by Fernando Pessoa, including the chest of drawers and the bookshelf where he kept his books; the Documentation where one can see an identity card, several business cards, the apartment rental contract, the letter written to literary critic Adolfo Casais Monteiro explaining his writing technique, and the sheet of paper on which he wrote the last sentence the day before his death: “I know not what tomorrow will bring”; the Private Library, now fully digitized; and the Tribute Painting to Fernando Pessoa painted in 1954 by Almada Negreiros.

7. Cemitério dos Prazeres is one of the most important cemeteries in the country, considered an authentic open-air museum, located in Praça João Bosco. The Cemitério dos Prazeres began construction in 1833 to house the bodies of victims of the cholera epidemic that was rampant in Lisbon at the time. It was later integrated into the new burial plan of the Lisbon City Council, with the aim of consolidating the 130 small cemeteries that existed throughout the city into just two large cemeteries – Cemitério dos Prazeres to the west and Cemitério do Alto de São João to the east. The main highlights of the Cemitério dos Prazeres are: the Mausoleum of the Dukes of Palmela, the largest private mausoleum in Europe, built in 1847 with a project by the Italian Cinatti. The Mausoleum of the Dukes of Palmela contains over 200 tombs, including those of the Dukes of Palmela’s closest employees; the collection of cypress trees, the largest and oldest in the Iberian Peninsula; over 7,000 tombs spread across 12 hectares; the Crypt of the Sapadores Firefighters, inaugurated in 1878 with a project by architect Dias da Silva to honor the Sapadores Firefighters corps. This crypt houses the former autopsy rooms, where the first autopsies outside the Institute of Legal Medicine were performed; the Tomb of António Augusto Monteiro, António Augusto Monteiro (1848-1920) was responsible for the creation of Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra. The tomb was built in 1908 with a project by Luigi Manini (1848-1936); the Tomb of the Countess of Burnay, designed by architect Ernest Korrodi (1870-1944); the Artists’ Plot, where some of the most important Portuguese artists are buried, including:

• António Gedeão;
• Cândida Branca Flor;
• Carlos Paredes;
• Henriques Mendes;
• Mário Cesariny;
• Vasco Santana;
• Ofélia Queiroz, Fernando Pessoa’s only known girlfriend.

8. Jardim Marcelino Mesquita is one of the oldest gardens in Lisbon, located in Praça das Amoreiras. Jardim Marcelino Mesquita is also known as Jardim das Amoreiras due to the presence of 331 mulberry trees. It was commissioned in 1759 by the Marquis of Pombal with the aim of developing the silk industry in Portugal. The main highlights of Jardim Marcelino Mesquita are: the Aqueduto das Águas Livres; the Arpad Szènes Vieira da Silva Museum, located in the former Silk Factory built by order of the Marquis of Pombal; the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Monserrate, built by order of the Silk Factory workers in 1768 in honor of the patron saint of French artisans. The Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Monserrate was built within one of the arches of the Aqueduto das Águas Livres.

9. Reservatório da Mãe d’Água das Amoreiras is the oldest water reservoir in Lisbon, located in Praça das Amoreiras. The Reservatório da Mãe d’Água das Amoreiras was designed in 1746 by Carlos Mardel with the aim of receiving water from the Aqueduto das Águas Livres and subsequently distributing it throughout the city. The reservoir took a total of 88 years to build and is currently an integrated structure within the Water Museum. The main highlights of the Reservatório da Mãe d’Água das Amoreiras are: the round arches; the panoramic terrace; the tank with a depth of 7.5 meters and a capacity of 5500 m3 of water; and the Casa do Registo, the point from which water flowed to fountains, factories, convents, and noble houses.

10. Casa Veva de Lima is the location of the headquarters of the Associação Casa Veva de Lima, located on Rua Saraiva de Carvalho. Genoveva Lima Mayer (1886-1963), commonly known as Veva Lima, was recognized as a writer, for the eccentricity of having a panther as a pet, and for her tumultuous love life. Despite being married, she was one of the known girlfriends of Oliveira Salazar. The main highlights of Casa Veva de Lima are: being one of the locations where the film “Os Maias” was shot; the hosting of bi-weekly gatherings; and the interior decoration.

Other attractions to explore in Campo de Ourique and Amoreiras

• Ermida do Senhor Jesus dos Terramotos is an 18th-century hermitage, located on Rua do Arco do Carvalhão. The hermitage was built between 1756 and 1796, and rebuilt in 1842. The main attraction of the Ermida do Senhor Jesus dos Terramotos is its proximity to the Escadinhas do Terramoto.
• Monumento a Maria da Fonte is a statue dedicated to Maria who led the Maria da Fonte revolt in Minho in 1846. The statue was inaugurated in 1920 with a project by António da Costa Motta (uncle).
• Cinema Europa is the Cinema Europa Cultural Space, located on Rua Francisco Metrass. Cinema Europa was inaugurated in the 1930s with a project by Raul Martins, having been one of the most important cinemas in Lisbon. Cinema Europa operated as a cinema until 1981 and was demolished in 2010. The building was later recovered by the civic movement SOS Cinema Europa, which brought together citizens from the Campo de Ourique neighborhood and the city of Lisbon to rebuild the building. The main attractions of Cinema Europa are the Cinema Library; and the Alto-Relevo, by Euclides Vaz
• Igreja de Santa Isabel is an 18th-century church, located on Rua Saraiva de Carvalho. The church was inaugurated in 1748, designed in Neoclassical style, with a vast interior and a gilded wood High Altar.
• Twin Towers Shopping Center
• Convento do Senhor Jesus da Boa Morte
• Igreja do Colégio de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de + Campolide
• Lisbon Central Mosque
• Oficinas de São José
• Pátio dos Artistas
• Campolide Square
• Praça de Espanha
• Teatro Aberto

Main Streets and Squares in Campo de Ourique and Amoreiras

Rua Coelho da Rocha is one of the central streets in Campo de Ourique, connecting Rua Sampaio Brito, Rua Saraiva de Carvalho, and Rua da Estrela. The street is named in honor of Manuel António Coelho da Rocha (1793-1850), a Priest, University Professor in Coimbra, and a deputy in the Chamber of Deputies in 1836. The main points of interest on Rua Coelho da Rocha are: the Mercado Municipal de Campo de Ourique; and the Casa-Museu Fernando Pessoa.

Rua Saraiva de Carvalho is one of the busiest streets in the Campo de Ourique neighborhood, connecting Praça São João Bosco and Rua Saraiva de Carvalho. Rua Saraiva de Carvalho is named in honor of Saraiva de Carvalho (1839-1882), a deputy, professor of Law in Coimbra, and owner of one of the most important law firms in Lisbon during the 19th century. The main points of interest are: the Igreja do Santo Condestável; the Salesianos de Lisboa; and the Livraria Salesiana de Lisboa.

Praça São João Bosco is a square in the Campo de Ourique Neighborhood, near the Cemitério dos Prazeres and Salesianos de Lisboa, connecting to Estrada dos Prazeres, Rua Sampaio Bruno, Rua Saraiva de Carvalho, and Rua Coronel Ribeiro Viana. Praça São João Bosco is named due to Saint John Bosco being responsible for the foundation of the Salesians in Italy, a preventive teaching method with the complete absence of punishment. Currently, Salesians exist in several countries, including Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Palestine, Algeria, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, and the United States of America. The main attractions near Praça São João Bosco are: the Cemitério dos Prazeres; Salesianos de Lisboa; Jardim dos Prazeres; and the Statue of Don Bosco.

Rua Maria Pia is one of the streets for entering and exiting central Lisbon and one of the largest streets in Campo de Ourique, connecting Rua Arco do Carvalhão and Rua João de Oliveira Miguel. Rua Maria Pia is named in honor of Queen Maria Pia of Savoy (1847-1911), wife of King Dom Luís. The main points of interest on Rua Maria Pia are: Vila Graciete, a former workers’ village; Vila Neves, also a former workers’ village; and the Alcântara Train Station.

Educational Institutions in Campo de Ourique and Amoreiras

• Escola Mestre Querubim Lapa
• Escola Secundária Josefa de Óbidos
• Lycée Français Charles Lepierre
• NOVA IMS Information Management School
• Salesianos de Lisboa
• Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Tourist Developments in Campo de Ourique and Amoreiras

• Altis Prime Hotel
• Corinthia Hotel Lisbon
• Epic Sana Lisboa Hotel
• Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
• Hotel The Vintage Lisboa
• Intercontinental Lisboa
• Marriott Hotel

• Trains:
  • Campolide Train Station
• Trams:
  • Number 25
  • Number 28
• Metro:
  • Rato Metro Station (Yellow Line)
  • São Sebastião Metro Station (Red and Blue Lines)
• Underground parking lot at Largo da Igreja de Santo Condestável

Location of the Parish of Campo de Ourique on the map of Lisbon