Saudade Road to Lisbon: the trail of Don Sebastian

For: Ricardo Coarasa (text and photos)
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The boy-king looks at us, sword, from the monumental facade of the train station Rossio, in pleno center lisboeta. Few sovereigns have so strongly attracted to the yearnings of a people. Don Sebastián, grandson Carlos V and nephew Felipe II, was the last hope of an empire, beset by lack of royal descent, did not want to fall into the hands of neighboring Spain. Too much responsibility for an adolescent who devoured novels of chivalry and warlike feats dreamed. A fearless child inside which echoed the call of Africa. "When I grow up I'm going to conquer Africa", warned his older. In the case, prophecy and shattered jump, her, the soul of a nation.

At 24 years, engaged in a senseless war in the domains of the current Morocco, Don Sebastian fallecio in August 1578 in the battle of Alcazarquivir, plunged into grief leaving an entire people, condenando to the melancolía to a imperio grandiose, permeating the entire saudade in Portugal. As a defense mechanism against this fatal news, the people soon encouraged the legend of his return to rapture the Portuguese dominions Spain. He was born on Sebastianism, an antidote to much grief. Don Sebastian became known as King Covert, Desire or The Sleeping, a Messiah who would redeem Portugal from the embarrassment of a foreign king, Felipe II.

"When I grow up I'm going to conquer Africa", warned his older. In the case, prophecy and shattered jump, her, the soul of a nation

More than four centuries later, the king-child and who waited in vain Sebastianist his coming triumph is evident in the streets of Lisbon. This is a path to the epicenter of the Portuguese saudade proverbial, the engine room a country with sentimental fondness to melancholy. To trace the footprint should be directed first to the Rossio station, between the square of the same name and the Restaurateurs, where a statue of a teenage Don Sebastian on the façade of the station in defiance, when he had not yet broken the African dream. On both sides of the sculptor's work Simões de Almeida, two horseshoe arches that seem the very pillars of Hercules that the sovereign rushed noisily about dreams of the Portuguese with his early demise.

In the same station, going up the escalator toward the platforms, we are back with Don Sebastian from the bustle of passengers, eternalize rush waits and watches. We, yes, to pass the turnstiles (mandatory to buy a ticket) and heading to the platform on the left, punctuated by a series of 14 colorful tile murals. One symbolizes the legend of King desired. On one side, the young monarch, with the naked torso and a helmet covering his face, asaetado in battle. Beside him, armor on a pedestal waiting for its owner, “D. Sebastian the cloudy ".

At the same station Rossio, going up the escalator toward the platforms, we are back with Don Sebastian

We continue towards the busy Low neighborhood and, one of its main arteries, Rua Augusta, reached the Market Square, Lisbon where the estuary opens Gash. This place is full of symbolism. It is accessed under the Arc de Triomphe one day hoped to welcome the doer of the Fifth Empire, King Covert, responsible for putting back to Lisbon at the epicenter of the world. At the end of the square, repair the traveler on a lonely dock with two columns bathed by the waters of Gash. The Pier Columns captures a tremendous magnetism and worshiped Sebastianist where amarraría a foggy day Don Sebastian fleet from the island of Utopia to regain his throne. It is hard to believe in the legend if you sit to be enchanted by the Tagus for a few minutes trying to abstract the tourism environment.

We now look at the Bairro Alto, where can we get back on our feet and raising us to Santa Justa elevator (or the Gloria from Restauradores Square, near Rossio Station), the last stand of two illustrious Sebastianist. In the San Roque Church (Largo Trindade Coelho) found, on the left side of the nave, Tombs Francisco Gomes and Simão Tregian, that in the late sixteenth century encouraged the prophecies about the return of King Covert. Right here delivered his famous sermon of 40 hours the father Antonio Vieira, one of the greatest exponents of Sebastianism and ended exiled and imprisoned for heresy, anathema with which at the time was solved any freethinking, for it to be harmless.

Cais das in Colunas the Sebastianist expected to see one day tie fleet of Don Sebastian to regain his throne. It is hard to believe in the legend if you sit to be enchanted by the Tagus

The temple is located behind the maze of streets in the neighborhood bars and restaurants high, so it's not surprising that the doors of the church, besides poor, youth are wagered local distributing cards that promise the best fado tourist city hopefully.

To put the finishing touch to this saudade path traveled by tram to Belém, where the visit to Jeronimos Monastery can not be avoided. Under the dome of the crossing to the right of the altar two tombs attract attention despite the gloom that seems to want to tiptoe around his memory. One is that of Don Sebastian. The other, the Cardinal Henrique. The child-king in the niche is guarded by two elephants, imperishable memory of African passion, why Portugal paid a high price. At the other end of the church, near the entrance, rests an intrepid Portuguese sailor who did fulfill their dreams: Range Basque.

The tomb of the boy-king is guarded by two elephants, imperishable memory of African passion, why Portugal paid a high price

Opposite the monastery, reflection of the glorious past of Portugal, excels the monument to the discoverers, recognition of the Portuguese navigators to their, the brave Argonauts known that Changed the World. From its peak, which can (and should) take the lift, the compass rose at the foot of the monument symbolizes, with its direction pointing to the horizon, the aspirations of a country determined, in difficult times, on building a bright future on a glorious past. Without waiting for a messiah who never comes.

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