Santo António

Santo António in Lisbon is a large monument to Saint Anthony of Padua, set in the middle of Alvalade Square (Praça de Alvalade) in the Alvalade district. It stands 12 metres tall and weighs 78 tonnes, which makes it a landmark of this northern part of the city rather than a modest roadside figure.

What is this monument?

Construction ran from 1970 to 1972, and the monument was unveiled on 4 October 1972. It was designed by the architect Carlos Antero Ferreira together with the sculptor António Duarte. The bronze figure of the saint is 5.5 metres high and rises from a base made of four marble blocks, each decorated with sculpted reliefs and figures. Dark bronze against pale stone gives the piece a strong presence against the surrounding apartment blocks.

Why Anthony?

Anthony of Padua was a Franciscan friar of the 12th and 13th centuries, born in Lisbon and regarded as the city's official patron saint. His feast day, 13 June, is a municipal holiday, and the Santos Populares festivities around it are among the liveliest events of the Lisbon year. The Alvalade monument is a 20th-century expression of that devotion, placed in a planned residential district instead of the old town.

Where is it and how do you get there?

The statue stands on the roundabout where Avenida da Igreja meets Avenida de Roma. Alvalade lies north of the centre, and a metro station named Alvalade serves the area; a taxi from Baixa takes roughly fifteen minutes. Because the monument sits in the middle of a traffic circle, you view it from the surrounding pavements and crossings, so take care with the cars.

What else is nearby?

Alvalade is a calm, residential neighbourhood of broad avenues, cafés and bakeries where you can try a pastel de nata. The monument fits neatly into a walk through a side of Lisbon that sees far fewer visitors than Alfama or Belém.

When should you visit?

The monument is in the open air, free to see and accessible at any hour. Daytime light brings out the texture of the bronze and marble, which is best for photographs. Around 13 June the city celebrates its patron, and the neighbourhood is livelier than usual.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same Saint Anthony as the one beside the Sé cathedral? It is the same saint, but Lisbon has several tributes to him. The statue at Largo Santo António da Sé stands by the church marking his birthplace. The Alvalade monument is a separate, much larger work from 1972.

How tall is it? The whole monument is 12 metres, including a 5.5-metre bronze statue.

Is there an entrance fee? No. It stands in a public square and can be seen free at any time.

Who designed it? Architect Carlos Antero Ferreira and sculptor António Duarte; it was unveiled on 4 October 1972.