Rua Augusta Arch

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The Rua Augusta Arch (Portuguese: Arco da Rua Augusta) is a stone, triumphal arch and visitor attraction in Lisbon, Portugal, on the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. It has six columns (some 11 metres (36 feet) high) and is adorned with statues of various historical figures. The significant height from the arch crown to the cornice imparts an appearance of heaviness to the structure. The associated space is filled with the coat of arms of Portugal. The allegorical group at the top, made by French sculptor Célestin Anatole Calmels, represents Glory rewarding Valor and Genius. Originally designed as a bell tower, the building was ultimately transformed into an elaborate arch after more than a century.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 4.0