Rua Augusta Arch

This guide to the Rua Augusta Arch in Lisbon starts with the man who never lived to see it finished: the Marquis of Pombal, the prime minister who rebuilt Lisbon after the earthquake of November 1st, 1755. It follows his sweeping new city plan, the grid of streets stretching down Rua Augusta, and the grand gateway he ordered in 1759 to crown it. You'll hear how Portugal's finances and politics turned against him, and how long the arch itself sat unfinished after his fall from power. Look up at the figure of Glory overhead, holding out two crowns above the square.