Cartografia para a Portuguesia

Guides to Prazeres and Alto de Sao Joao Cemeteries in Lisbon by Maria da Gandra and Gisela Monteiro

Maria da Gandra (Final Year Coordinator, BA GMD LCC) and Gisela Monteiro (Cemeterial Division of Lisbon City Council) have teamed up for the latest two issues of ‘Cartografia para a Portuguesia’ (Cartography for a Portuguese Mindset), a collection of maps and guides focused on the graphic visualisation of enigmatic, hidden, and often overlooked aspects of Portuguese history, designed for a general audience.

The two new issues focus on two of Lisbon’s most significant cemeteries: Prazeres Cemetery and Alto de São João Cemetery, both established in 1833 following the cholera outbreak with Prazeres serving the western part of the city, and Alto de São João serving the east. As the final resting places of many prominent figures in Portuguese history, these cemeteries have evolved into open-air museums of immense historical, architectural, artistic, and social significance. With an array of mausoleums, both temporary and perpetual graves, crypts, and ossuaries of great beauty and artistic value, they offer a rich cultural heritage.

Maria and Gisela have developed two illustrated guides, one for each cemetery, which highlight some of the most notable mausoleums, structures, and historical features. These guides present the information in diagrammatic form, accompanied by rich historical insights and fascinating details, in Portuguese and English. The project received the support of LCC Research as well as Lisbon City Council, and both maps were printed at LCC (Print & Finishing)

Designed to serve as practical tools for visitors, these guides provide a starting point for exploring the cemeteries and discovering hidden treasures within these magnificent spaces.

The publications will be launched at an event in Lisbon in the spring (exact date to be confirmed). They will also be available at both cemeteries and through maisportuguesia.com.

Illustrated Guide: Prazeres Cemetery (ISBN 978-1-0686555-0-0)

Illustrated Guide: Alto de São João Cemetery (ISBN 978-1-0686555-1-7)

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