Another notable square in the Baixa district of Lisbon is Praca da Figueira (Square of the Fig Tree) which actually neighbors on the imposing Rossio Square. From an infrastructural point of view, Praca da Figueira is important to Lisbon due to the fact it is crossed by numerous bus and tram lines. A metro station is also located in this square.

Praca da Figueira was built several decades after the 1755 earthquake, but the site originally served as an open-air market. This market was turned somewhere around 1885 into a covered market, dismantled in the mid 20th century (1949). The demolition process gave way to the construction of the present Praca da Figueira.

Praca da Figueira is surrounded on virtually all its sides by buildings which blend in perfectly with the overall picture of the venue, lending the square an air of notable homogeneity. Most of these buildings are the now occupied by shops, cafes and hotels, of which notable are the historical Confeitaria Nacional and the all-inviting Pastelaria Suica.

A statue of King Joao I is located in one corner of the square, being pegged out by the carved figures of Nuno Alvares Pereira and Joao das Regras. The statue was designed by Leopoldo de Almeida, and it was initially placed in the center of the square, only to be subsequently moved (in the year 2000) to its present location, to the purpose of ensuring a more generous backdrop to Praca do Comercio.

Also of interest is the fact the square is populated by huge flocks of pigeons which, by their presence, enliven the set more than the architectural and artistic patrimony of the venue manage to do. The historical Castle of Saint George is also visible from this square, with its imposing towers and fortress-like look.

The word goes the square or, more precisely, the buildings surrounding it, are yet to be restored, meaning they have been scheduled to be soon covered with ceramic tiles (the project should have been carried out in 2000, but it was not implemented, though expectations still exist in this respect).

Name:
Praca da Figueira (Square of the Fig Tree)
Address:
Praca da Figueira, Lisbon, Portugal
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