Lisbon is on the Tejo River, about 6 miles up stream from where it empties into the Atlantic. Two bridges span the river at Lisbon. The one right downtown (1/2 mile long) was built in 1966 and originally named for the then-dictator Salazar. It was renamed Ponte 25 De Abril (Bridge of April 25) when the revolution of that date in 1974 overthrew the dictator and democracy was once again restored to Portugal.
Kind of odd (to me) is that upriver from the bridge the river gets very wide. The second bridge is nine miles up stream from the 25 de Abril bridge, on the NE edge of the city. Named Vasco Da Gama Bridge, it was finished in March 1998 just in time for Expo 98 in Lisbon. This World’s Fair celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the sea route from Europe to India by Vasco Da Gama. The bridge is 10.7 miles, making it the longest in Europe.
On our Hop-on-hop-off day we explored the Expo 98 site. Lots of cool buildings still being used for events and such. Not sure if this tram was in use then or not. Bridge spans in the background.
Certainly an eye catcher is the building below, designed to be the centerpiece of the festival and grand entrance to the fairgrounds. It took me two photos to capture the building, so this ‘borrowed’ one gives a much better visual.
The designer’s intent was to frame the river with an enclosed and column-free space. Two ginormous piers support the enormous canopy, which spans an area of 230 x 164 feet, and is just shy of 8″ thick. It looks impossibly light and weightless. The concrete sheet stops just before the wall, revealing the thin cables that connect the canopy to its supports.
Here are my two, pieced together. Note the band playing on top of the right hand tower. Professional lighting suggested video filming.
Their personal elevator 🙂
The Expo mascot (below) was conceived by the Portuguese painter António Modesto and sculptor Artur Moreira. Selected from 309 entries, it was named Gil after Portuguese navigator Gil Eanes.
Whew! If you’ve read through all of these facts & figures, you’re a trooper! Thanks for following along with us. Laura
It’s fun to see the pics and remember when we were there! That was our first European trip. I recall the men were quite handsome, the pastries just ok and the drivers were crazy!