sábado, 20 de janeiro de 2007

Portugal's 7 Wonders…

Beloved blogger friends,
Esteemed members of the "Happy Few Club",
Dear readers,

I hereby invite you all to a journey that will take us on a visit to 7 of the 21 national monuments considered eligible to a place among the 7 best in the country. I have made my choices, and here are my final results.
I could have made other choices indeed, truth be told. However, I've tried to take into account different architectural styles and different periods of Portuguese History.

The main conclusion? Choices are never easy…
So let's get started right now!

Jerónimos Monastery (detail), my closest neighbour. (Am I lucky or what?!)

Belém Tower (detail): unique in the whole world, it's an accomplished example of the 16.th century Manueline architectural style with military purposes

Pena National Palace, 19.th century, a romantic architectural jewel in romantic Sintra, nearby Lisbon

On an island in the mid-course of the Tagus we find Almourol castle, a medieval fortress. No words can describe the wondrous view from the top of its walls

Nearby, Christ Convent at Tomar, and its most precious Manueline window

After the victory at the battlefield of Aljubarrota over the Castilians, D. João I had this monastery built nearby – Saint Mary of Victory – in Portuguese late Gothic style

… And our journey is finally going to take us to Coimbra, where we'll visit the Roman ruins of Conímbriga, a very well preserved archaeological site, the very birthplace of the university city of Coimbra.


As to the 14 remnant monuments, all I can tell you is that they're all worth a place among the final 7, because they all do deserve it for one reason or another.
I give you the list, just in case you may want to search for yourselves and to establish your own «Portugal's 7 Wonders» list. I believe you should! And if you're a Portuguese yourself I'm sure you should vote as well! Just go to www.7maravilhas.pt

Castelo de Guimarães
Castelo de Marvão
Castelo de Óbidos
Convento e Basílica de Mafra
Fortaleza de Sagres
Fortificações de Monsaraz
Igreja de São Francisco do Porto
Igreja e Torre dos Clérigos
Mosteiro de Alcobaça
Paço Ducal de Vila Viçosa
Universidade de Coimbra
Palácio de Mateus
Palácio Nacional de Queluz
Templo Romano de Évora

Enjoy your weekend!

RIC

32 comentários:

Jack disse...

I love old buildings.

I'm happy that we do have a few here. Maybe not as old, but still.

Great list.

RIC disse...

Hello dear Joel! I'm sure you have them too! At least a few dating as early as the 17. century, I'd say... Unless they were all made of wood in those days...
Could you tell me something about it? But only when your wrists get better, okay?
Thanks a lot!
Wish you a great weekend! :-)

Minge disse...

Woa! Fabulous! And how lucky am I to have been to three of the first seven myself?

RIC disse...

Hello Minge! Not yet, my dear, not yet! These are MY 7! The official 7 will be know on July 7.th 2007. So you'll have to wait a few more months...
I'm glad you liked the journey!
Have a fabulous (!) Saturday! :-)

Tongzhi disse...

Não teres posto uma fotografia do Convento de Mafra não tem perdão
:)))))))

he he he

E não me venhas dizer que sou "bairrista"...

RIC disse...

Já estava à espera, Tongzhi! Enquanto organizava os materiais para este édito, disse-me: o primeiro comentário português há-de vir com protestos regionalistas, bairristas, etc. - «aqui d'el rei que ele escolheu o gato e deixou de fora o cão!»
Pronto! Disse!
Um bom Sábado para ti também!...
:-)

lampejo disse...

Todos eles são maravilhosos.
O nosso gosto pessoal, faz-mos gostar mais de uns do que outros.

RIC disse...

Olá Lampejo! É isso mesmo! Eu também gosto muito do Templo de Diana e do espaço envolvente. Mas ruínas de templos gregos e romanos é o que mais há na bacia do Mediterrâneo. Onde estaria a originalidade da escolha?
E também adoro a Torre e a Igreja dos Clérigos... Mas 7 são 7...
Um abraço para ti, meu caro!
Um excelente fim-de-semana! :-)

Minge disse...

OIC - ONe day, Ric, I will return to Lisboa and you can show me more of your delicious city and country. Please.

RIC disse...

Be my guest, dear Minge! I will most certainly - and gladly - be your faithful guide around!
Lisbon is a beautiful city indeed! I wish we Lisboners would love it better... And many parts of the country are as beautiful or even more!...
Have a fine Sunday! :-)

Minge disse...

Where, then, Ric, in Portugal, could one find more beauty than in Lisbon?

RIC disse...

Many places, dear Minge, many places! Believe me! You'd be surprised...
:-)

Anónimo disse...

Das 7 maravilhas que eleges, adivinha qual a minha favorita(?):-)
Ok, ok...Até pode não ser um favoritismo muito sensato mas é feito de coração. Tem o valor que tem.
Ainda não votei, porém não tardará.

Um execente Domingo p'ra ti.
Beijinhos!

('tás melhor?)

dondon009 disse...

I'm not certain we ever fully appreciate the beauty that has been a part of our lives our entire lifetime.

We take so much for granted!

How fortunate you are to be surrounded by such beauty and history; how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to learn more about your beautiful country.....

DON~

Anónimo disse...

Ric
as tuas escolhas são quase consensuais.
Mas fazia um reparozito: por razões que eu próprio desconheço, não gosto muito da fortaleza de Sagres e não deixaria de incluir A Praça do Comércio, com o Arco da Rua Augusta.
Quanto à Pena, é pena não poder ser Sintra toda!
Um abraço.

RIC disse...

Olá querida Carla! Estás tu melhor? espero bem que sim! Eu só estou ranhoso...
Acho que vai ser muito difícil adivinhar essa tua preferência... romântica? Tem todo o valor, minha cara!
Obrigado! Para ti também!
Beijinhos! :-)

RIC disse...

Hello dear Don! Good evening!
You're absolutely right! Some times I do feel I have to force myself to really appreciate the place where I live, and all the beauty that surrounds me. I guess I save that for the days I have the dark blues... And then I do feel so much better.
Oh please, don't mention it, Don! This is what politicians - for instance - should be doing (bringing us all together), instead of all the bull... they say and do...
But then again it feels so much better this way, I think...
I'm glad you enjoyed the journey! You're now a member of the «Happy Few Club»! Welcome! (Lol!)
Have a fine Sunday, dear friend!
:-)

Anónimo disse...

Que beleza, Ric!
Muito bonito mesmo!

RIC disse...

Olá João, boa noite!
Pois, mas ainda bem que o não são, já que a lista dos 21 não é minha, como decerto percebeste. E concordo com os teus reparos: antes da fortaleza de Sagres votaria, de olhos fechados, no convento da Arrábida, por exemplo.

Já agora deixo aqui um registo, para ti e para todos, que só agora me apeteceu fazer. Um corajoso e frontal anónimo perguntou-me se Portugal acabava em Coimbra... Estive para responder - e afinal estou a fazê-lo à mesma... - que dependeris do sentido da viagem. Mais diria ainda, mas deu-me um gozo superior apagar o comentário cobarde, mesquinho e idiota...
Mas este é mesmo o país e a massa humana que há... E contra isso...

Um excelente Domingo para ti, meu caro! :-)

RIC disse...

Olá, meu caro Carioca! Muito boa noite para ti! Tudo bem na Cidade Maravilhosa?
Fico feliz por teres gostado deste passeio!
Apesar de tudo, continuo a achar que Portugal está muito mal divulgado... Aliás, cada vez me convenço mais disso mesmo.
Há de facto recantos muito belos neste país. Tal como as belíssimas capitais estaduais que me mostraste!
Obrigado, meu caro! Um excelente Domingo para ti! :-)

T-Bird disse...

i like Pena National Palace the most based in the pictures.

RIC disse...

Hello Will! I'm glad you enjoyed the visit. Pena National Palace is not only a unique building, but also its situation is superb. So I guess it's quite understandable that you have chosen it first. I like it too myself very much...
Thanks a lot!
Have a great Sunday! :-)

Minge disse...

I promised myself a return to the Belém Tower. Will you join me, there, Ric? Oh! And I want to buy another Portuguese Cockerel.

RIC disse...

Of course, Minge! Just give me 5 minutes! That's all I need to get there!
Sorry? You mean one of those (...) typical colourful cockerels we call «Barcelos cockerel»?! Why?! You have one already?! What for?! As a decorative piece?! Where?! In the kitchen?! Oh my God!!!
:-)

Minge disse...

I wish I could also be at the Tower in five minutes...!

:(

Yes, that cock I had was wrapped up and put in a box when we moved from Armadale. I've never seen it since. I think someone we used to know pinched it. He looked after a few boxes for us for a while. I've lost lots of things in moving. Stolen.

RIC disse...

I'm really so sorry, Minge! I wouldn't have joked about it if only I'd known.
Being stolen by someone you know is really infuriating! When I moved to here one year ago, I «stole» myself: I sent two large boxes to a garbage depot, and brought to my new apartment two large boxes full of garbage... Whenever I remember that - like now... - I feel like smashing my stupid head against the wall...
But then again I also remember I had so many boxes and bags to supervise that it was almost impossible not to make a mistake...
So I get my serenity back.
:-)

Minge disse...

Oh, Ric, I'm so sorry to know this. Irreplacable things? Precious things?

RIC disse...

Well, yes, most of those things are irreplaceable indeed, since they had to do with my past and my family, and in this sense one can also say they were precious... But not in terms of money, no...
:-)

Minge disse...

A trinket from our past can sometimes have more value than all the money in the world. I'm so sorry, dear Ric.

Gray disse...

Of the 7, I must admit that I find the window to be very fascinating! But then, I found all of the pictures to be fascinating. I guess that I am just a helpless (hopeless?) romantic!

I shall search the others on the list. Thank you.

RIC disse...

Thank you, dear Minge! I agree with you, since I do value those little things very much...

RIC disse...

Hello dear Gray! You too, an inveterate romantic?! So join the club!
The whole Convent of Christ, to which that window belongs, is very beautiful and is a strong proof of Templars' power in Portugal in medieval times.
I wish you a pleasant research, dear friend!
You are most welcome! :-)