An Ode to Sovereignty
Restauradores Square
Every capital boasts a square paying homage to sovereignty and great national symbols. In Lisbon, this is Restauradores, which is dedicated to the restoration of the independence of Portugal after 60 years of Spanish domination. The Portuguese Revolution of 1640 and the war that ensued brought to an end the Iberian Union, which had been under the rule of the Spanish Habsburg Kings from 1580. The impressive obelisk in the middle of the square was inaugurated in 1886 and features the names and dates of the battles fought during the Restoration War. It was designed by António Tomás da Fonseca, while the two allegorical statues of Independence and Victory were sculpted by Alberto Nunes and Simões de Almeida.
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