Rua Augusta Arch

Rua Augusta Arch
Portuguese: Arco da Rua Augusta
The arch seen from Praça do Comércio
General information
Type	Memorial arch
Location	Lisbon
Country	Portugal
Coordinates	38°42′30″N 9°08′12″W / 38.7084°N 9.1368°W / 38.7084; -9.1368
Construction started	1755
Completed	1873

The Rua Augusta Arch (Portuguese: Arco da Rua Augusta) is a stone, memorial arch-like, historical building 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 m high) and is adorned with statues of various historical figures. 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.^[1]