Regular readers will know that I’m a big fan of Neo-Mudéjar architecture (aka Moorish Revival), a popular building trend in the Iberian peninsula in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I’ve written a dedicated post about Neo-Mudéjar in Seville, but there are many more examples if you search the blog.
You’ll find all these buildings on my map.
The most famous example of Neo-Mudéjar in Lisbon is the Praça de Touros do Campo Pequeno (Campo Pequeno Bullring) which was built between 1890 and 1892 under the supervision of Portuguese architect António José Dias da Silva.
The circular bull ring has four octagonal towers with oriental-style domes while the doors and windows have the characteristic Moorish horseshoe shape.
The Western tower, flanked by two turrets, is the main entrance.
The building was redesigned in 2006 to be used for other events apart from bullfighting. I was interested to learn that Portuguese-style bullfighting differs from Spanish-style in that the bull is not killed in front of an audience.
Another quite famous building is the Casa do Alentejo at 58 Rua das Portas de Santo Antão. Originally built in the 1600s as a private palace, in 1932 it was turned into a social club for people from the Alentejo region living in Lisbon. Although it doesn’t look like much from the outside, the interior has a beautiful Moorish courtyard. It reminds me of the Real Casino de Murcia, another cultural association I visited in south-east Spain.
Upstairs there are two restaurant dining room decorated with ceramic tile panels from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
PC users should click on the photos to get the best view.
To view them you’ll probably have to eat here although I strongly advise getting the cheapest and simplest things on the menu as the food is absolutely awful!
I understand there is also a ballroom in the rococo style of Louis XVI but I’m not sure how you’d get to see it.
I discovered Palacete Ribeiro da Cunha at 25 Praça do Príncipe Real by accident when I was wandering around the Príncipe Real neighbourhood. It was constructed in 1877 according to the design of Lisbon architect Henrique Carlos Afonso. The building is now home to several interesting independent shops and a three-star hotel calledCasa Oliver.
Finally, I viewed the lovely facade of Palacete Conceição da Silva at 228 Avenida da Liberdade which was designed by French architect Henri Lusseau in 1891.
The doors and windows are remarkable for their richly decorated alfizes (rectangular panels enclosing the outward side of the arches).
Some Art Deco next!