Principe Real, Lisbon

Prince Royal

Príncipe Real is a historic, charming and cosmopolitan neighborhood of Lisbon, its landscape defined by the squares Praça do Príncipe Real and Praça das Flores, the gardens, the shops and the 18th and 19th century palaces. Príncipe Real is right next to Bairro Alto and a few minutes from Avenida da Liberdade and the Chiado neighborhood. In recent years, fashion and design stores have been thriving throughout the neighborhood, namely on Rua Dom Pedro V. The Príncipe Real is only fully explained when we talk about Jardim do Princípe Real and the Embassy. Jardim do Princípe Real is one of the oldest and quietest gardens in the city of Lisbon, it has centuries-old trees, a fountain, garden benches, landscaped spaces and a unique and little-known place in the Portuguese capital: the Patriarchal Reservoir, an underground water reservoir built in 1856 that we can visit today. The Embassy, located in front of Jardim do Princípe Real, is a two-story high shopping gallery, with several design, craft, fashion, gastronomy and Portuguese culture shops included in the Palácio Ribeiro da Cunha, built in the 19th century in neo-Arabic style. The Principe Real neighborhood has some of the oldest and most famous nightlife spaces in Lisbon, namely the Chinese Pavilion (a bar with Chinese motifs), the Foxtrot (a bar with decorative motifs from the first half of the 20th century and Art Nouveau), the Trumps (alternative) and the Finally (alternative). Princípe Real is a neighborhood where you can live, do business, visit and have fun in safety.

The Parish Council of Princípe Real is the Parish Council of Misericórdia.

Places to visit in Princípe Real

1. Jardim do Príncipe Real (Jardim França Borges): is a historic garden in the city of Lisbon, located in Praça do Príncipe Real, officially designated as Jardim França Borges. The Prince Real Garden is a popular place for locals and tourists alike because of the Garden built in the English Romantic style; to the Cedro do Buçaco with more than twenty meters in height; to the refreshment kiosk where you can rest and drink sour cherries, juice or tea and eat soups or appetizers; and to the Patriarchal Reservoir.

2. National Museum of Natural History and Science: it is a museological space with the objective of disseminating and teaching about Botany, Zoology, Anthropology, Mineralogy, Geology or Agriculture, located in Rua da Escola Politécnica. The building of the National Museum of Natural History and Science is Neoclassical in style and designed by Pierre Joseph Pézerat. The main highlights are the Polytechnic School’s Laboratory and Amphitheater of Chimica, one of the only 19th century teaching and research laboratories left in the whole of Europe; the Chemistry Visitable Reserve where it is possible to observe more than three thousand objects; and the Cloister where we find the tomb of Fernão Telles de Menezes (1530-1605), photographs, maps, a handwritten letter by Charles Darwin to Portuguese naturalist Arruda Furtado and a 17th century table telescope by Jesse Ramsden; Whale Room with specimens of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals from Portugal.

3. Patriarchal Reservoir: is the Water Museum, located in Praça do Príncipe Real. The Patriarchal Reservoir was built between 1860 and 1864 under the supervision of the engineer Louis Charles Mary with the objective of supplying water to the lower part of Lisbon. The reservoir stands out for its size, with thirty-one columns, vaults over nine meters high and a water reserve capacity of approximately 880 cubic meters. The Patriarchal Reservoir supplied part of Lisbon between 1864 and the 1940s, having been reopened as a Water Museum in 1994 and integrated into a structure with four museum poles: 1 – Aqueduto das Águas Livres; 2 – Mother d’Água das Amoreiras Reservoir; 3 – Patriarchal Reservoir; and 4 – Barbadinhos Steam Pumping Station.

4. Geological Museum of Portugal: is a space where we can observe collections of Portuguese rocks, fossils and minerals with approximately 600 million years, located on Rua da Academia das Ciências in the building of the former Convent of the Order of Jesus. The Museum of the Geological and Mining Institute was inaugurated in 1855 with the aim of creating a place where it would be possible to gather the largest collection of fossils in Portugal, with the main points of interest the Dinosaur Skeletons; Plant and invertebrate fossils; the Collection of minerals and ores explored in Portugal; a Fossil Collection with an emphasis on a crocodile skull dating back approximately 15 million years, found in Chelas, Lisbon, a skeleton of a domestic dog about 7600 years old discovered in Muge, Ribatejo, and a three-million-year-old tree trunk fossil found in Leiria; and the Collection of Mineralogy and Research Instruments with the Microscope purpose-built for Sousa Brandão; the oil sample collected off the coast of Figueira da Foz; and the First Geological Chart of Portugal dated 1876.

5. Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Sciences: it is one of the most important gardens in the city of Lisbon, where it is possible to study and learn about Botany. The Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Sciences is located on Rua da Escola Politécnica in the building of the Colégio Jesuita da Cotovia, where it operated between 1609 and 1759. The Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Sciences was inaugurated in 1873 at the wish of the Count of Ficalho (1837-1903) and of Andrade Corvo (1824-1890). The main points of interest are species of cycads from Brazil, species of trees and plants from the time of Dinosaurs, palm trees, fig trees and cactus trees.

6. Palácio Bramão: is an 18th century palace where the Open University is located, a higher education institution created with the aim of allowing adults to study at a university, located on Rua da Escola Polytechnic since its inauguration in 1861. The Palácio Bramão acted as the residence of the family of the merchant Rebelo de Andrade between 1760 and 1805, building of the Imprensa Nacional and headquarters of the Universidade Aberta since 1988.

7. Museu João de Deus: is a space dedicated to the educator João de Deus, located on Avenida Pedro Álvares Cabral. The João de Deus House-Museum was inaugurated in 1982 with the aim of preserving and disseminating the work of João de Deus. The space was the place of residence and training space for teachers with the aim of collaborating in the Mobile Schools, created in 1852 with the objective of making the people literate. The Mobile Schools were a success in the country, having carried out a total of 479 literacy missions between 1852 and 1920 to more than 28 thousand people.

8. Pastelaria Cister: is a historical pastry shop in the city of Lisbon, located at Rua da Escola Politécnica. The Pastelaria Cister was the place where Eça de Queiroz had breakfast, reflected in the interior decoration through the paintings representing Portuguese writers and intellectuals. The main highlights are the aforementioned paintings and gastronomic specialties, namely Açorda de Gambas and Shrimp Rissóis.

9. Concept Store Embassy: is a commercial space with design and fashion, gastronomy and handicraft stores. The Concept Store Embassy is located in Praça do Príncipe Real in the Ribeiro da Cunha Palace, which was inaugurated in 1879 in Neo-Arab style under the direction of architect Henrique Carlos Afonso to be the residence of José Ribeiro da Wedge (1854-1915).

10. Biological Products Market: is a fair of organic vegetables and fruits from all over the country, which takes place every Saturday between 9 am and 2 pm at Jardim do Príncipe Real since 2005.

Other places to visit Principe Real

Fundação Casa de Macau: an institution with the objective of supporting and developing Macanese communities since its creation in 1996, located in Praça do Príncipe Real, the main attraction is the Specialized Documentation Center in the Far East with approximately four thousand books

Orpheu Caffé: it is a space that aims to recreate the intellectual atmosphere of the 19th century lived in Lisbon and which offers a view over the Jardim do Princípe Real. The Orpheu Caffé is located in Praça do Príncipe Real, with the main highlights being the Scrambled Eggs, the Prego Estrella and the view over the Garden.

São Mamede Gallery: this space has been promoting Portuguese contemporary art since its inauguration in the late 1960s by Francisco Pereira Coutinho. The São Mamede Gallery holds exhibitions by numerous artists, including Areal, Cesariny, Cruzeiro Seixas or Deolinda Fonseca.

Casa dos Carpets de Arraiolos: Casa dos Carpets de Arraiolos is a store that sells Arraiolos carpets since 1959 on Rua da Escola Politécnica. Arraiolos Rugs are wool-embroidered rugs from the village of Arraiolos, which have been using the same technique since the 15th century.

Panificação Reunida de São Roque: this is a bakery that has existed in Rua Dom Pedro V since 1961, created with the objective of uniting several bakeries in Bairro Alto in one place. The highlights of the Breadmaking Reunida de São Roque are the Gastronomy through bread and cakes; and the organization of events such as The Nights of European Literature.

Dom Pedro V Antique Jewelery: is a historic jewelery store in Lisbon, one of the oldest jewelery stores in Princípe Real, in operation since the 18th century, located at Rua Dom Pedro V.

Casa Amália Rodrigues

Palace Angels

British Bookstore

Pastelaria São Roque

Plaza das Flores

Convent of Cardinals

Júlio Pomar Museum

Palácio Castilho

Polytechnic Theater

Main streets and squares in Principe Real

Rua Dom Pedro V: Rua Dom Pedro V is the main street of Princípe Real, known for antiquaries, design stores and art galleries, connects Praça do Príncipe Real, Rua da Rosa, Rua Luísa Todi and Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara. The Rua Dom Pedro V is one of the busiest streets in the area, a street always with many tourists, students and locals due to the presence of the Tram 28, the antique shops, the galleries of art, bars and restaurants. Rua Dom Pedro V acquired this name since 1853 in honor of King Dom Pedro V (1837-1861), a very popular King with the people due to the construction of the Hospital Dona Estefânia in 1860, for the prohibition of inflicting corporal punishment, for the abolition of slavery, for the creation of the Higher Course of Letters in 1859, for the inauguration of the Astronomical Observatory in 1861, for the construction of the Railroad in 1856, the Telegraph in 1855 and for the holding of the First Portuguese Industrial Exhibition.

Rua da Escola Politécnica: a street that connects Praça do Príncipe Real and Largo do Rato, it is very busy due to the attractions, including the Palace of the Attorney General’s Office, the Galeria de São Mamede, Largo de São Mamede, the Polytechnic School, the Casa dos Tapetes de Arraiolos, the National Press or the National Museum of Natural History and Science. Rua da Escola Politécnica was named in 1859 as a tribute to the Escola Politécnica. Other streets connecting to Largo do Rato are:

• Salitre Street: Mouse -> Av. Liberdade
• Mouse Wide -> Mulberry trees

Praça da Alegria: foi nomeada a partir de 1889, anteriomente teve várias designações, nomeadamente Praça Alfredo Keil e Praça do Suplício por ter sido o local onde Isabel Xavier Clesse foi enforcada no dia 31 de Março de 1771 por sentença devido ao crime de ter atentado contra a vida do marido com um clister de água-forte.

Historical stores in the Príncipe Real district

Casa Achilles: it is the only store in Lisbon that creates mold reproductions in copper alloy. The store is located on Rua de São Marçal.

Chinese Pavilion: it is one of the most sought after shops in Príncipe Real for nightlife. The space was inaugurated in 1901 as an antique shop and transformed into the current bar in 1986. The Chinese Pavilion is located on Rua Dom Pedro V

Príncipe Real Enxovais: is a historic shop dedicated to selling Portuguese products, namely Hand Embroidery from Madeira, Bilro laces from Viana do Castelo, the Castle White bedspreads or the Minho dating scarves. The Príncipe Real Enxovais store is located at Rua da Escola Politécnica

Pérola de São Mamede: is a traditional shop in Lisbon that maintains the characteristics of grocery stores where you can buy Portuguese food products, where there is an old mechanical scale to weigh food sold in bulk and where everyone knows everyone else. . The Pearl of São Mamede is located on Rua Nova de São Mamede.

Transport and Access to Principe Real:

The transports available in Príncipe Real are:

• Ascensor da Glória: is a funicular elevator that transports passengers along a steep street from Avenida da Liberdade to the entrance of Principe Real and Bairro Alto. The Ascensor da Glória is one of several traditional elevators still in operation in the city of Lisbon. Currently, funicular elevators are much sought after by tourists, who seek to experience transport in a traditional city vehicle. The sensations are varied, since the transport is accompanied by the noises of the iron structure circulating on top of iron rails, with the electric proportion fed to the top of the carriage through cables fixed to street poles.
• Electric 24
• Metropolitan: Rato Subway Station (Yellow Line)

Education Facilities in Princípe Real

• School of Santa Teresa do Menino Jesus
• Higher Institute of Business Communication (ISCEM)
• Open University

Health Institutions

• Principe Royal Dental Clinic

Parking Parks in Príncipe Real:

• Parque da Rua Politécnica
• Rua do Salitre Park
• São Bento Street Park
• Taxis and buses

Tourism Developments in Príncipe Real

• Prince’s House
• Hotel Principe Real
• Prince Royal Memmo
• The Vintage House

Places to shop in Príncipe Real

• Amélie au Théâtre
• B.S.Mamede
• House of Arraiolos Rugs
• Concept House Embassy
• Space B
• J Andrade Antiques
• Maison Nuno Gama
• Manuel Castilho Antiques
• Moskkito
• Centennial fish shop
• 21PR Concept Store
• REAL Show Retail Concept
• Solar
• YOYO Objects

Fairs, Parties and Pilgrimages in Príncipe Real:

• Prince Real Biological Products Fair: also known as Príncipe Real Biological Market, takes place every Saturday between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm in the Príncipe Real Garden
• Try Fest: electronic music and urban art festival held annually at Picadeiro do Príncipe Real in May

Location of the Parish of Misericórdia (Principe Real) on the map of Lisbon