The Bairro Alto, “mais alto do sonho” as Carlos do Carmo called it in his fado dedicated to Lisbon, “Menina e Moça” — which literally means “higher than the dream” — is apearl in the middle of the cityand has delighted us since its construction in the early 16th century.
Located between the districts of Chiado, Príncipe Real, Madragoa and Santa Catarina, i.e. in the very heart of Lisbon,the Bairro Alto dazzles with its history, its bustling energy by day and by night, its traditions, its architecture, its monuments, its colours and its inhabitants.
It achieves the unhoped-for feat of keeping its authentic soul, even though this can sometimes be undermined by mass tourism, throughthe respect and protection of its local life: you’ll still find old shops, grocery stores whose longevity commands respect, schools, tascas…
The aim of this article is toremember, so as never to forget.
Here, then, is our selection of 10 photos, depicting residents’ everyday life of yesteryear
All these photos can be found on the website of the Lisbon city municipal archives.
