Page 61 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Portugal

A cheerful yellow tram winding its way through Alfama’s narrow streets

ALFAMA

It is difficult to believe that humble Alfama,
the oldest and most atmospheric of Lisbon’s
neighbourhoods, was once the city’s most desir­
able quarter. It was first settled by the Romans
but flourished in Moorish times, when the tightly
packed becos (alleyways) and tiny squares
comprised the whole city. The Moors took advan­
tage of Alfama’s slopes, building the fortified
Castelo de São Jorge on the crown of the hill and
turning the city into a defensive stronghold.
But even that couldn’t hold off the crusaders
forever. The city was captured by Afonso Henriques
in 1147, and the seeds of Alfama’s decline were
sown in the Middle Ages when wealthy residents
moved west for fear of earthquakes, leaving the
quarter to fishermen and paupers. Many of its
buildings survived the 1755 earthquake – although
no Moorish houses still stand – and the quarter
retains its kasbah­like layout. Compact houses line
steep streets and stairways, their façades strung
with washing, and daily life still revolves around
local grocery stores and small, cellar­like taverns.
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