Sometimes the way I research things to do in a location is simply by looking at Google Maps – this app is my life saviour for anything travel-related, from building itineraries to allowing me to navigate any unfamiliar place with ease. It also signals a lot of different points of interest in the maps, and by clicking on it you can immediately see a quick description of the place, reviews and opening times.

I spent last weekend with a friend in Lisbon and since this is not been the first time I have been in the city, I was trying to figure out what could I visit for free that I had not visited before. I have a weird fascination for beautiful cemeteries. In London, I loved the old Victorian cemeteries, with a charm that only partial abandonment can lend combined with gothic architecture. I can tell you in Portugal most cemeteries are quite ugly, without any green, and therefore not exactly places to go for a leisure walk. That was when, whilst looking at Google Maps, my attention was drawn to this cemetery named “Prazeres” which in Portuguese means “Pleasures” – the Cemetery of Pleasures. And of course, this spiked even more my attention. Upon commenting with my friend, she diligently informed me she thought I’d like to visit the place, as it’s exactly my kind of thing.

So there I was that afternoon. I was very impressed, having had no idea such a cemetery existed in Portugal. And let me start with the name – there isn’t really anything interesting about it, besides taking the name of a farm that existed there before.

It was built in the romantic period, in 1833, when a cholera morbus outbreak in the city made it very clear that more burial spaces were needed. Until then, burials only took place on religious grounds, but a law was passed that for health and safety reasons, new spaces specifically dedicated to burials would be created. The cemetery contains mostly private mausoleums from prominent families of the city, who hired architects and sculptors to design their eternal resting places. As a result, when strolling through the cemetery, you have the feeling you are walking in small streets surrounded by little “houses”. Except that only dead bodies “live” in there. Another plus of visiting this place is the view you get of the river and the 25th of April Bridge (also known as the Golden Gate of Lisbon).

This is also where you’ll find what is considered the biggest private mausoleum in Europe – the Mausoleum of the Dukes of Palmela. This was built in 1847 and it is full of masonic symbology. The chapel has a pyramid shape with the graves of family and close friends, and in the outside area, you can find the gravestones of servants with higher rank.

Additionally, in this cemetery, you will also find the biggest concentration of cypresses in the Iberian Peninsula. It is incredible that despite all of the above, this is still only the second biggest cemetery in Lisbon, with a little over 7,000 graves and 12 hectares.

If you think this is interesting, perhaps it’s something you can add to your Lisbon itinerary. Plus, it’s free entry, so it will suit any budget 😉

Love, Nic

Inverno: manter a casa quente sem gastar mais eletricidade