“This imposing concrete structure, almost a monument in itself,” you might think, “but who was Azeredo Perdigão?”. You’re standing before the Monumento a Azeredo Perdigão, a tribute to a man who helped shape Portuguese culture. José de Azeredo Perdigão, born in 1896, wasn’t a king or a general. He was the first President of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Imagine the weight of that legacy! This foundation, established by the Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian, is a powerhouse of arts, charity, and science in Portugal. The sculptor, Pedro Cabrita Reis, chose concrete for the monument. It was a deliberate choice, echoing the aesthetic of the Gulbenkian Foundation’s main building. The Monumento a Azeredo Perdigão, inaugurated in 1996, is more than just a statue. It symbolizes the enduring impact of Perdigão’s vision and the Gulbenkian Foundation on Portuguese society.
Mosteiro de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Marvila
Did Fernão Cabral ever imagine his legacy? Right here, before you, stands the Mosteiro de Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao de