Benches with a past

Bench 1In Largo 1 de Dezembro, a busy square near the river front in Portimao, traces of Portuguese history linger.  A series of benches commemorate events from the past.  Some depict the glory years, when Portugal had an empire and her explorers roamed the world. Others, significant turning points, like the foundation of the Portuguese nation, on 5th October, 1143, shown above.

Bench 6Not a peaceful scene to accompany a lunchtime sandwich, this bench commemorates the Battle of Aljubarrota on 14th August, 1385. One of many battles with Spain, here King Joao 1 and his general Nuno Alvares Pereira defeat the Castilians.Bench 5The Portuguese Empire spanned almost 600 years, from the capture of Ceuta in North Africa in 1415 to the handover of Macau to the People’s Republic of China in 1999- the longest lived of any of the European colonial empires.  The scene above shows the fall of Ceuta in Morocco, on 21st August, 1415.

Bench 3Probably my favourite scene denotes the arrival of the Vasco da Gama in Calicut, India, on 28th May, 1489.  Below we have the discovery of Brazil, on 24th April, 1500.

Bench 2

Brazil provided a safe refuge for the Portuguese monarchy during the Napoleonic Wars but all good things come to an end and Brazil finally achieved independence in 1822.

Circle bench

The October Revolution in 1910 resulted in the overthrow of the monarchy, the expulsion of the Braganca dynasty, and and the founding of a Portuguese Republic.   Still, it makes a pleasant bench to sit a while and contemplate history.

Bench 4I hope you can enjoy a lunchtime linger.  Jude asked for Benches with unusual details this month. The condition and situation of these benches means I’ve had to employ a little artful disguise.

Like many people I thought that the name azulejos (the type of tile shown on these benches) came from the Portuguese word azul, or blue.  The name actually derives from the Arabic al zuleycha.  Just one of many delightful things I discovered while reading the online magazine Enjoy the Algarve.  You might like it too.

 

93 comments

  7. I really like those Jo, they remind me of the tiled walls in the railway station in Porto. I saw them the first time that I visited the city and I took some friends back later to see them but the station was closed because there was a wedding reception in the ticket hall!

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    1. That’s what I call enterprise, Andrew! 🙂 When are you up in Yorkshire? Will you be riding the Esk Valley Railway? I suppose it works out expensive with a family. I haven’t checked prices lately.

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    1. I didn’t begin to skim the surface, Pit! Their history is unbelievably complicated. I’m always worried that I get something wrong and bring down wrath upon my head 🙂 Thanks, hon. And you!

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    1. Naughty, do you think, Sue? I didn’t much like any of the photos I’d taken but I wanted to feature the benches. When I Googled them I didn’t feel so bad, because there weren’t any amazing and wonderful photos of them to make me feel inferior. 🙂

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      1. They do look a little hard. 🙂 Yes, I submitted my book to the publisher on Tuesday evening, so I hope to have a post up tomorrow. I’ve missed everyone and your lovely walks. 🙂

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    1. It was difficult to get the shots without distracting background in. This was the best I could do. They are quite old and I’m hoping somebody might spruce them up a bit soon. 🙂

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  18. Ooh, a history lesson AND Benches. What more could I ask for? And you have been ‘playing’ too, you clever thing – now just one question. How DID you manage to get all these lovely benches to be empty of people? Bribery? Pushing? 😀 😀 Or are they so uncomfortable that no-one wants to sit there?

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    1. This post nearly didn’t happen, Jude, because my laptop was playing up something rotten last night and I switched it off in disgust. (usually works 🙂 )
      It’s actually a shame about the little garden. It’s one of those rather neglected areas that could do with a bit of love. The square is used mostly for parking and there are some smart buildings around but the benches are a bit neglected. On the riverfront, a very short distance away, there’s a paved area with lots of newer benches and cafes, so I guess no-one cares. Shame, really.

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    1. They’re not in very good condition, Indah, which is why my photos are edited. Bit of a shame really but Portugal has so many tile pictures to look after. 🙂

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