Estufa Fria (2km)

20-03-2017

Lisbon Greenhouse is one of the most important parks that exist in the city. As a living museum and an ex libris of Lisbon, it is one of the most visited sites in the city, by both students and tourists. Initially thought out as a place to simply shelter various types of plants, it has become one of the most pleasant green spaces in Lisbon, where you can spend a few enjoyable hours between lakes, waterfalls, brooks, statues and hundreds of different plant specimens from all over the world. A place the gives its visitors a sense of tranquility and well being.

This Greenhouse is managed by the Lisbon City Council and is divided into three different areas: "The Cold House"; "The Hothouse" and "The Sweet House".

At the turn of the 19th century, the present location of the Lisbon Greenhouse was occupied by a basalt quarry. The existence of a fresh water spring at the quarry started to compromise the extraction of stone and the quarry was closed down.

In 1912, one of the gardeners responsible for the new plants that were to decorate "Avenida da Liberdade", decided to create a shelter for the delicate plants that were being imported from all over the world. With the advent of the 1st World War, this plan was put on hold and the plants started taking root in the small sheltered place where they had been housed. In 1926, the painter and architect Raul Carapinha was surprised to find this pleasant space and thought it would be a good idea to establish a Greenhouse at the site. Four years later the project was complete and in 1933 it was officially inaugurated.

In the 1940's, the whole park (Parque Eduardo VII) was subject to some new landscaping, taking on the aspect with which we know it today. The greenhouse was no exception and was also subject to some alterations, such as a new entrance, a new lake and a huge room constructed underneath the "Alameda do Parque", known as "The Nave". For quite a few years this room was used as a municipal theatre and at the present it is still used for some cultural or recreational activities.

In 1975 the Hothouse and the "Sweet House" were open to the public, an idea put forward by engineer Pulido Garcia. These new exhibitions had tropical and equatorial plants on permanent display.