Liberty Avenue Garden

Category: Nature > Garden

District: Portalegre > Portalegre > Portalegre > São Lourenço

Location

The Jardim Avenida da Liberdade is located in the heart of the city of Portalegre, in the São Lourenço area. This space is set within a peculiar urban context, shaped on a plateau of gentle slopes, flanked by the São Mamede and Penha mountain ranges. Its central location makes it an undeniable landmark in Portalegre's urban fabric.

Surrounding the garden, which was once the Rossio do Espírito Santo, one can observe a collection of buildings with diverse architecture, predominantly elegant residences. Notable among them are the modernist dwellings of Avenida da Liberdade, the Póvoas Palace, the old Espírito Santo church, the Old Misericórdia Hospital, and the former Palace of Justice. This surrounding area lends the garden a harmonious urban environment with architectural value.

A Space with History

Historically known as the "public promenade," the Jardim Avenida da Liberdade has been, over centuries, a central stage for Portalegre's social life. It served as a venue for markets, fairs, and countless collective gatherings, reflecting the city's evolution and expansion, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries. Its presence was crucial for the balance between built areas and green spaces in the city, influencing the growth of the urban center.

This garden carries a deep symbolic meaning for the people of Portalegre, being intrinsically linked to the city's collective memory and the various historical moments experienced there. Within its confines stands the Monument to the Combatants of the Great War, an element that underscores its significance as a place of homage and remembrance. Keeping pace with urban living trends and the consolidation of the rossio area, the garden adapted and remained a space for community enjoyment.

Landscape Design and Natural Heritage

With an area of 21,845 m², the Jardim Avenida da Liberdade is an example of landscape design that successfully combined formal heritage with contemporary functionality. Its current configuration resulted from an intervention in 2006, part of the Polis Program, designed by landscape architect Carlos Manuel Correia Dias. This revitalization followed a principle of "critical restoration," seeking to update the space without neglecting its original characteristics, creating more intimate ambiances for visitors' enjoyment. Previously, in the 1960s, the garden had already been intervened upon by landscape architect Albano Castelo Branco.

The space incorporates lawn areas, benches for rest, and a restored water feature. Pedestrian circulations were redesigned, offering more direct and functional paths. One of its notable features is the preservation of valuable arboreal and shrub vegetation, with a highlight being a centenary plane tree, approximately 150 years old, which stands as one of the garden's most emblematic natural elements. The Bandstand (Coreto), one of its most recognized architectural structures, has been subject to interventions to ensure its preservation and safety, underscoring the attention given to maintaining this heritage.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt