Alvalade Square

The Alvalade Square is an urban square in the city of Lisbon, Portugal, located in the civil parish of Alvalade, within the Neighbourhood of Alvalade. It is located within a roundabout, which forms a crossing between Igreja Avenue and Roma Avenue.

Characteristics
The Alvalade Square is located within a roundabout, which forms a crossing between the Igreja Avenue and the Roma Avenue.

In the centre of the square is located the Monument of Saint Anthony. It consists of a bronze statue with a height of 5.5 m (18 ft.), which is placed on a pedestal formed of 4 marble blocks with sculptures on them. The total height of the monument is 12 m (39.37 ft.), and it weighs 78 tons. The statue depicts Anthony of Padua, a 12th- and 13th-century Roman Catholic priest, who is the official patron saint of the city of Lisbon, with the day of his death, 13 June, being celebrated as a municipal holiday, known as Saint Anthony's Day. The monument was designed by architect Carlos Antero Ferreira and sculptor António Duarte, and unveiled in 1972.

Around the square are located the entrances to the Alvalade station of the Lisbon Metro.

History
The square was built in the 1940s, during the construction of the Neighbourhood of Alvalade. It was originally named the Monk Luís de Sousa Square (Portuguese: Largo Frei Luís de Sousa), after Luís de Sousa, a 16th- and 17th-century monk, and prose-writer.

On 18 June 1972 was opened the Alvalade station of the Lisbon Metro, entrances to which, are located around Alvalade Square. The station had been designed by architect Denis Gomes with artwork by Maria Keil. Its construction lasted from 1966 to 1972.

On 25 October 1971, the square was renamed Alvalade Square (Portuguese: Praça de Alvalade).

On 4 October 1972, in the centre of the square, had been unveiled the Monument of Saint Anthony. It was made by architect Carlos Antero Ferreira and sculptor António Duarte, between 1970 and 1972.

The Alvalade station was renovated between 2006 and 2008.