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FÁBRICA DOS PASTÉIS DE BELÉM THEY SMELL GOOD, THEY SMELL OF PASTÉIS This walk begins at the Martim Moniz Metro station in Rua do Capelão (1) and continues along Rua da Mouraria to the Church of Senhora da Saúde (2), with its beautiful tiles and carved wood altar. The church is open for visits on afternoons or whenever there is a mass. In the recently reconstructed Martim Moniz square (3) is the singularly multi-racial shopping center called Centro Comercial da Mouraria. Enter the picturesque Mouraria quarter by the steps called Escadinhas da Saúde (4) and go on to Largo da Rosa, where there is a convent of the same name (5), and the Church of S. Lourenço. Now go on to Largo da Achada (6) and the Church of S. Cristóvão (7). Then take Calçada Marquês de Tancos, and you´ll come to the municipal market called Mercado Municipal do Chão de Loureiro (8), with its painters’ studios and splendid terrace. Take Rua da Costa do Castelo past the Chapitô circus school (9) then take the S. Crispim stairs (10), down to Rua de São Mamede, with the Correio Velho Palace (11) on the left. Take Travessa do Almada to the Church of Santa Maria Madalena (12). From there, Rua da Sé takes you to Largo de Santo António (13) with its taverns and the St. Anthony Museum. A little farther up is the Cathedral (14), built WALKS in 1147, where you can visit the church, the treasury and the Roman ruins. Take Rua Augusto Rosa up to the Santa Luzia belvedere (15) and enjoy the panoramic views of the Tagus and the Alfama. But there is still St. George’s Castle (16) to be seen - Centro de Interpretação da Cidade. You can reach it with the aid of the map via Rua de S. Tiago. It is worth the climb. The finest views of the <strong>city</strong> and the river can be had from its gardens and parapets. When you leave, turn left onto Rua do Chão da Feira, to get to Largo Mor and the Church of Santa Luzia (17). Largo das Portas do Sol (18) with its popular café terraces is an ideal place to take a rest and admire the views. If you feel like continuing, take the stairs on the right down to Largo de S. Miguel, then take the narrow Beco do Carneiro to the Church of Santo Estevão (19). Rua dos Remédios will take you to Largo do Chafariz de Dentro (20) - Fado House and Portuguese Guitar Museum. If it happens to be June, when the Festas Populares take place, you’ll find the narrow streets and alleys festooned with lamps and decorations and packed with revellers. 40 _ 41
MOURARIA CASTELO ALFAMA CHURCH BELVEDERE STEPS TRAM LINE ELEVATOR / FUNICULAR TRAM TRAIN FERRY METRO An aroma of cream and cinnamon permeates the air and from even a hundred metres away you can already smell the proximity of one of the “sacred” sites of world famous patisserie: having resisted industrialisation, being sold or franchised, the Pastéis de Belém are still one of Lisboa’s best ambassadors. Everyone falls for their sweet temptation. In the area of Belém, a compulsory stopping place for any tourist visiting Lisboa, there is a very special pastry shop whose fame has spread throughout the world: “the only, genuine bakery of Pastéis de Belém”. During the day, every day of the year, around ten thousand pastéis (a kind of custard tart), made completely by hand, leave here, fresh and ready to eat. According to the legend, just like all other traditional Portuguese sweets, the Pastéis de Belém originated from a receita conventual (convent recipe) from the neighbouring Jerónimos Monastery. Following the Liberal revolution in 1820, religious orders were abolished in Portugal, and their convents and monasteries nationalised. The lay workers who lived in them, among them the cooks, had to find employment elsewhere. A pastry cook from the Jerónimos Monastery, owner of the precious recipe, is said to have gone to work at a sugar refinery in the surrounding neighbourhood, and within a short time the “genuine Pastéis de Belém” were being sold to the public. They were an immediate success with the people of Lisboa, who rushed to buy the new pastries. After that, they became famous throughout the country. With the emergence of mass tourism, in the mid 20th century, the fame of the Pastéis de Belém spread across the whole world, from New York to Japan. No wonder, that with such success many have tried both in Portugal and abroad to imitate this product. However, up until now they haven’t succeeded The first pastry cook, the one that came from the Jerónimos Monastery, worked late into the night, in secret. He shut himself in his room, not letting anyone enter, while he mixed the ingredients in exactly the right proportions, just as the monk who invented the recipe had taught him. Fearing that the pastéis would be copied, the owner of the pastry shop later patented the recipe, which up until now has been kept secret. At present, only three people have access to the magic recipe – a pastry cook who has worked for the establishment for half a century, and two trustworthy assistants, who have also been there for decades. They had to swear and oath and sign a declaration promising never to teach the secret to anyone. Today, an average of 10 thousand pastéis are made daily. According to the cooks what distinguishes Pastéis de Belém from normal pastéis de nata sold in other establishments is, besides the recipe with the exact proportions, the fact that they are prepared by hand using top quality ingredients– flour, sugar, milk and eggs. The success of the Pastéis de Belém has been an object of study for the most varied of reasons. From primary school pupils who send handwritten letters asking what ingredients are used in the recipe, to students of Anthropology writing theses on this pastry. Pedro Clarinha, manager of the house since 1984, has received them all. He gives his assurance that he replies to all queries and proof of his interest in the history of the Pastéis de Belém is the fact that he collects, not just all this work, but also newspaper cuttings, curiosities, photographs and autographs of all the famous people who have passed by there. The process of making the pastéis is still done by hand. The pastry is moulded into forms by a group of women. They could have been replaced by machines were it not for the concern to preserve this traditional method, which is part of the establishment’s philosophy. Besides this, the Fábrica dos Pastéis de Belém has frequently found itself “against the current”, explains Pedro Clarinha. Some years ago, when many cafés where getting rid of their chairs in order to deter customers who spend a whole afternoon with just a bica (small coffee), the Fábrica decided to invest in more tables – and with success. More recently, offers to buy the business or franchise it have been increasing. However, so far, although not rejecting the idea of expanding the business, the owner has resisted such proposals. 12 _ 13
Page 1 and 2: TURISMO DE LISBOA Rua do Arsenal, n
Page 3 and 4: 3* HOTELS BEST WESTERN HOTEL DE TUR
Page 5 and 6: 5* HOTELS CORINTHIA ALFA HOTEL Av.
Page 7 and 8: HANDICRAFTS AND SOUVENIRS ALBERTO S
Page 9 and 10: MONUMENTS AND MUSEUMS ARTE GALERIA
Page 11: RESTAURANTS A COMMENDA Centro Cultu
Page 15 and 16: CHURCH BELVEDERE STEPS TRAM LINE EL
Page 17 and 18: BAIRRO ALTO CAIS DO SODRÉ CHURCH B
Page 19 and 20: ESTRELA PRAZERES ALCÂNTARA DOCAS C
Page 21 and 22: BELÉM CHURCH BELVEDERE STEPS TRAM
Page 23 and 24: JOÃO LAGOS Organiser of sports eve
Page 25 and 26: RUA DE CAMPOLIDE, PRIVATE HOUSE AMO

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