Lisbon - Chiado

Chiado is the name given to the quarter west of the Baixa, located on the slope that forms the link between the lower and the upper parts of the city. The name is often also used to denote only the elegant shopping street, Rua Garrett, situated in the center of the quarter.

The poet and playwright António Ribeiro (c. 1520-91) gave the area its name. A contemporary of Luis Vaz de Camoes, he was originally a Franciscan monk but left his order and went to Lisbon where he became known as "Chiado". For a long time the Chiado quarter was considered to be the most elegant shopping area in Lisbon. Now shopping takes place mostly in streets such as the Avenida de Roma and the Rua Braancamp, and principally in the Amoreiras Shopping Center and the Baixa. However, some exclusive fashion shops with ranges reminiscent of Paris can be found in Chiado. At the turn of the century and during the first decade of the 20th C. Chiado was the meeting place for writers and artists. Political and cultural exchanges constantly took place in the cafes here.

Chiado hit the world headlines when an enormous fire destroyed part of the quarter on August 25, 1988. The fire affected an area of "only" 2ha/ 5 acres but nevertheless the destruction seriously spoiled the character of the district. In the main it was the Rua do Carmo, a pedestrianized street, which was affected by the catastrophe. Together with homes and offices two old department stores burnt down, as well as the famous Pastelaria Ferrari and the valuable archives of the music shop Valentim do Carvalho containing unique documents relating to the history of Portuguese music.

After the fire the city council was mainly held to blame for allowing the construction of a pedestrianized street without access for fire engines, together with the totally inadequate safety precautions taken in the buildings. In a long drawnout discussion about the reconstruction of the destroyed quarter the main alternatives put forward were either to rebuild the area as close to the original as possible by using the remaining facades or to replace completely the remains with new, modern buildings. The project was finally awarded to Siza Vieira, an architect from Porto. It was decided to rebuild while retaining the original character as far as possible. It was hoped to complete the rebuilding within five years, but because of various legal and administrative problems this was not possible. Meanwhile the Rua do Carmo has regained some of its former splendor.

One blot on the landscape, however, is the former "Chiado" department store, which was to have been converted into a hotel until the supreme court intervened and put a stop to this proposal. The second department store which was burnt down, the "Grandella", will be rebuilt as a business center with restaurants, leisure facilities and an underground parking lot. More than anything, however, the rebuilding program will result in more living accommodation, as about a third of the total area is to be used for housing.

In order to improve ease of access to this quarter, which had become increasingly neglected for a number of years, it is currently being linked to the metro network.

The name of the Rua Garrett in the center of Chiado commemorates the writer Almeida Garrett (1799-1854), who was also temporarily active as a liberal politician.

Several old established shops are to be found in the street, some with very splendid interiors worth seeing.