Located on the tallest of Lisbon’s seven hills, above the old
Moorish quarter, the Castle of St George was the royal residence
until the late 15th century. Originally built by the Visigoths and
later named after King Joao I, the castle, along with much of Lisbon,
was severely damaged by the devastating earthquake of 1755. The castle
was declared a National Monument in 1910 and rebuilding work was
starting in 1940 to restore the site to its former state of luxury
and glory. Today the castle offers spectacular views of Lisbon from
the well-preserved ramparts, as well as beautiful gardens full of
olive, cork and pine trees. A variety of birds roam the gardens including
some very pretty specimens of flamingo, peacock and swans. There
is also a giant periscope in the Torre de Ulisses (Tower of Ulysses-Camera
Obscura), from where visitors can see spectacular, live images of
Lisbon below, reflected onto a large screen in the viewing area.
The castle is another of the spectacular attractions on offer for
any visitor to Lisbon and its surrounding areas, well worth a few
hours of your time no matter how long or short your visit to the
capital.
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