Seven Hills of Lisbon

Former arm of the Tagus RiverValleys of the seven hills of Lisbon

Map of the Seven Hills of Lisbon.

The valleys of Lisbon are the ones in the origin of the mounts dubbed hills.

1. Santos Valley

   It limits the big mount that forms the Hill of Santa Catarina, the Hill of Chagas and the Hill of São Roque, by the west margin.

2. Jesus Valley

   It limits the Hill of Santa Catarina to the west.

3. Chagas Valley

   It divides the Hill of Santa Catarina from the Hill of Sant'Ana. The valley formed during a landslide provoked by the Earthquake of 1597.

4. Verde Valley or Valley of Santo Antão

   It divides the Hill of São Roque from the Hill of Sant'Ana. Matches the current Liberdade Avenue where flowed the Vale Verde Stream, also known as Valverde or Santo Antão.

5. Arroios Valley

   Limits the Hill of Sant'Ana to the east and divides it from the Hill of Graça. Here existed the Arroios Stream.

6. Mouraria Valley

   Contours the Hill of the Castle to the northeast, splitting it from the Hill of Graça. A small valley that ters the Historic Neighborhood of Mouraria in the middle, towards the Square Martim Moniz.

7. Alfama Valley

   Separates the Hill of the Castle from the Hill of São Vicente de Fora by the Historic Neighborhood of Alfama.

8. Valley of Santo António

   Limits the Hill of São Vicente de Fora to the east. It also represents the east limit of the group of mounts that form the Seven Hills of Lisbon.

It is believed that the connotation might have arisen during the centuries of Roman presence in Lisbon - Olíssipo, at the time - when were seen resemblances with Rome, capital of the Roman Empire equally surrounded by seven hills.

However, the first idea that mentions Lisbon as the city of the seven mounts, instead of hills, appears in the 17^th century by the hand of Frey Nicolao d'Oliveira in the Livro das Grandezas de Lisboa (in english, Book of Lisbon's Greatnesses):

Now this city occupies the length from Belém until São Bento de Enxobregas, that are nearly two leagues, continuing always houses and farms, being the middle of it, and what properly we call City situated on seven very high mounts, and very distant from each other, and occupies all, not only their tops, but all its bottoms, and roots, and valleys, as it is clearly seen by who comes from the sea, that from land there is no place from where might be seen as much as a third of it.

Translated quotation from the original Portuguese version, by Diogo Belo.

The top of the mounts are propitious locations for the existence of churches and viewpoints and that's exactly what happens on top of nearly every hill.

Here are the Seven Hills of Lisbon, ordered and cited by Frey Nicolao d'Oliveira:

1. Hill of São Vicente de Fora

   The first mount beginning at East and the one of São Vicente de Fora, named like this for being founded by the King Dom Afonso Henriques on that same place, on which placed his army, when he put this City under siege, and took it from the Muslims, which was outside of the walls, like is now seen in the distance, that there is this sumptuous Monastery until the wall of the Castle, where began the old part of the City....

   And becoming the first mount on which this City was founded, that is the one of São Vicente; begins this mount to rise from the East part of the Illustrious Monastery of Santa Clara, and goes up until São Vicente, and ends at Senhora da Graça, where also ends the City wall, and from there goes down to the midday part by Santo André(...)

   Translated quotation from the original Portuguese version, by Diogo Belo.

   Here we find the Church of São Vicente de Fora, the National Pantheon and the Viewpoint of the Garden Botto Machado situated on the top of Campo the Santa Clara where takes place the Market of Ladra.
   Frey Nicolau refers the Monastery of Santa Clara still before its collapse during the Earthquake of 1755, where is currently the General Workshops of the Uniform and Equipment.

   Its area is part of the Parish of São Vicente de Fora and comprises the Historic Neighborhood of Alfama and the Historic Neighborhood of São Vicente that go down steeply to Santa Apolónia, near to the Tagus River.

   The origin of the name São Vicente comes from the first Patron Saint of Lisbon. São Vicente (in english, Saint Vincent) was deacon in the 3^rd century and martyr during the persecutions to Christians. After the terrible tortures that led him to death in the year 304 and, posteriorly, thrown to the vultures, his body is protected by a crow.
   

   In 711, during the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Muslims, these try to transform all churches into mosques. To save the relics of São Vicente they are transported to the current Cape of São Vicente, better known by Cape of Sagres.

   Dom Afonso Henriques recovers the relics to Lisbon in 1176 in a journey accompanied by two crows, since the Promontory of Sagres until the Parish Church of Santa Justa and Rufina.
   And so begins the legend of the guarding crows of the Saint that origins the coat of arms of Lisbon: the crows and the ship.

2. Hill of Santo André

   To the left hand of this mount in respect of the West, rises another mount (that goes up from the same spot, in which the previously mentioned perishes) until the wicket of Santo André, and coasting the Castle foot by the East part comes to an end near the fountain d'el Rey, and like this is smaller, occupying no more than three parishes, that are arranged along its bottoms and slopes, being at the East part the parish of São Miguel, and at the West part São Pedro, and upper above, and nearly on the top there's the parish of São Tomé.

   Translated quotation from the original Portuguese version, by Diogo Belo.

   The Hill of Santo André stands out by the two very high mounts with different heights.
   The first, lower and closer to the Castle of São Jorge, is located at the Viewpoint Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen near to the Church and Convent of Graça, where also is the Garden Augusto Gil.

   The second, a little higher and to the right of the first, is situated at the Viewpoint of Senhora do Monte on the same place of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte and São Gens and, for this reason, also known by Mount of São Gens.
   Its areas comprise the Historic Neighborhood of Graça at the Parish of São Vicente de Fora.

   The Wicket of Santo André indicated by Frey Nicolao d'Oliveira was located at the end of the descent of the Sidewalk of Santo André and was related to one of the entrance doors at the Muralha Fernandina (in english, Ferdinand Wall), near to the Palace of Conde da Figueira. The wicket was first called Door of Santo André and later Arch of Santo André. It ended demolished in 1913 to favor the passage of the tram.

3. Hill of the Castle or Hill of São Jorge

   The third mount is the highest of them all, in which there's a very strong Castle whose top appears to have been cut by nature, being all round very high, and in a way of being strongly flattened, fortified by very high walls, and towers. This mount begins at the East part of the door of Santo André, and comes always cut on top from the East part, continuing the valley, that divides it from the second mount, until going to the fountain d'el Rei, and from here does a very big circle with its bottoms, that might be almost a league, until returns to the same wicket of Santo André, populating the following parishes: Santa Cruz do Castelo, São Bartolomeu, Santiago, São Martinho, São Jorge, São Mamede, São Cristovão, São Lourenço, and a big part of the parish of São Sebastião da Mouraria.

   Translated quotation from the original Portuguese version, by Diogo Belo.

   It is the most symbolic hill of the seven hills of Lisbon by having the Castle of São Jorge, allusive to the Saint São Jorge, remembering a crown on the hill top. It is also the highest.

   On the south slope, facing the Tagus River, is the Lisbon Cathedral and the Church of Santo António of Lisbon in front of the Garden Augusto Rosa.It is located in the Parish of Santa Maria Maior at the Historic Neighborhood of Castelo.

4. Hill of Sant'Ana or Hill of Saúde

   Between this mount and the one of São Roque, its opposite, is in almost a triangle a high mount, that is called Santa Anna, for being on its top the Monastery of Franciscan Religious with the title of the same Saint, this is the forth mount in order. This mount is cut by two very long valleys, one by the East part and another by the West, and both go until a very large valley, that stands between the mount of the Castle and the one of São Roque, and on this is a very beautiful square, and very long, in whose top of the septentrional part is a very bonny fountain with four taps; and occupy this valley the parishes of Conceição, São Julião, São Nicolau and Santa Justa.

   Translated quotation from the original Portuguese version, by Diogo Belo.

   The Garden Braancamp Freire at Campo Mártires da Pátria characterizes the top of the Hill of Sant'Ana, remembered as Alto da Caganita by having been the pastureland of animals, and that is also known as Hill of Saúde (in english: Health) because of the hospitals there built. Right in front of it there's the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the New Faculty of Lisbon.

   The convent indicated by Frey Nicolao d'Oliveira, belonged to the Order of the Minor Friars when was extinct on the May 4^th, 1884, on the precise place where today is the Bacteriological Institute of Câmara Pestana, to the right of the faculty. The same street gives passage to the Torel Garden and its viewpoint over Lisbon.

   The Parish of Arroios embraces this Hill situated between the Liberdade Avenue and the Avenue Almirante Reis.

   The different toponymies of the name Sant'Ana include Santana or Santa Anna, grandmother of Jesus Christ and mother of Mary.

5. Hill of São Roque

   The fifth mount on which is situated this City, is the one of São Roque, opposite to the West part of the Castle, yet not as high as the one of the Castle. This begins to go up in front of the Ouro door, and running near the valley, that between it, and the Castle is interposed, by the flour bushels goes crossing the street of the ovens, and the one of the corktrees, that is near the Anjo until the Caldeiraria, and from there by Valverde, and by the houses of Dom Estevão de Faro, that now is Earl of Faro, and by it goes up to São Roque; from here, after being built a big neighborhood, the one we call São Roque, goes down and does a narrow valley until the sea, where it enters.

   Translated quotation from the original Portuguese version, by Diogo Belo.

   The top of the Hill of São Roque is situated at the Viewpoint São Pedro de Alcântara, at the beginning of the Street São Pedro de Alcântara. Going down by it, we find the Church of São Roque at the Square Trindade Coelho. The old Neighborhood of Bairro Alto de São Roque is today the bohemian Bairro Alto and the most traditional location for nightlife of Lisbon.

   Who descends the Liberdade Avenue until the Rossio passes near this big mount that rises from the right side and covers the Historic Neighborhood of Chiado, the Historic Neighborhood of Bairro Alto de São Roque and the Historic Neighborhood of Príncipe Real. The hill is mostly part of the Parish of Santa Maria Maior.

   São Roque, the saint of the Catholic Roman Church, is in the origin of this hill's name. There's who identifies wrongly the Hill of São Roque as being the Hill of São Pedro de Alcântara due to the Viewpoint São Pedro de Alcântara.

6. Hill of Chagas

   From the right part, that is to the West, where this mount ends, begins to rise the sixth high mount, named Chagas because of a church, that in it was built by the seafarers of the India's career, with title, and invocation of wounds, where by the order of the Supreme Pontiff has its Chaplain, that to them, and their wives, plus family serves as Cure, and beyond this Church is the mount occupied with part of three parishes, that are most part of the parish of Santa Catarina, and part of the parish of São Paulo. Near to this mount there's a large valley, that is called Vale das Chagas(...)

   Translated quotation from the original Portuguese version, by Diogo Belo.

   The Hill of Chagas was so named by the Church of Chagas de Cristo situated on its top, at the end of the descent of the Chagas Street. To its right side we see the Vale das Chagas - created by a landslide in 1597, separating it from the Hill of Santa Catarina - that contains the Bica Street and the typical Elevator of Bica.

   Its situated at the south end of the Hill of São Roque at the Historic Neighborhood of Bairro Alto de São Roque and the Historic Neighborhood of Santa Catarina, between the Parish of Misericórdia and the Parish of Santa Maria Maior. It's the mount with the smallest area of the Seven Hills of Lisbon.

   Exist diverse wrong references to the location of the Hill of Chagas, being the most common, the Square of Carmo.

7. Hill of Santa Catarina

   (...) mount of Santa Catarina of Mount Sinai, that is the seventh, the one that stretches along a large space, and perishes in a small valley near to Esperança, where ends the main part of the suburb of the City, and that with it is counted.

   Translated quotation from the original Portuguese version, by Diogo Belo.

   If we consider that the Hill of São Roque is situated on the East slope of a large mount, the Hill of Santa Catarina will be situated on the West slope, separated from the Hill of São Roque and the Hill of Chagas by the Bairro Alto and the Vale das Chagas, respectively.

   The Combro Sidewalk goes up to the Church of Santa Catarina, facing the Bystreet of Condessa do Rio that goes down towards the Viewpoint of Santa Catarina. Occupies the Parish of Misericórdia, Neighborhood of Santa Catarina and the west end of the Historic Neighborhood of Bairro Alto de São Roque.

   The area of Esperança that Frey Nicolao d'Oliveira refers to is concerned with the former Convent of Esperança demolished in 1889, where is located the Fire House of Lisbon.

   Santa Catarina of Mount Sinai was the most powerful war ship of the Portuguese Navy in the 16^th century.

The Legend of the Seven Hills of Lisbon

The legend tells that Odysseus founded Lisbon on seven hills and that the expression Lisboa itself has roots on his name.

While returning to his homeland, Odysseus has gone through Lisbon and remained for some time. These lands offered such pleasure that he decided to found it on seven great hills.

Other legend, more elaborated, tells that existed a realm called Ofiusa on the lands of Lisbon, ruled by a queen half woman, half serpent and that fell totally in love by Odysseus. The hero of the war in Troy would have docked here to supply the ships and to rest from the long journey.
But Odysseus fears the queen's obsession and, deceiving her, flees during dawn. The queen in raged jumps into the sea to reach him but ends up dying. It is told that the hills were made by the shaking of her serpent tail while fighting to live.

We can find the Legend of Odysseus and the Foundation of Lisbon, painted on tile, at the Subway Station of Rossio.