A green dream called Jardim da Cerca da Graça

Lisbon breaths through two hectares in the Graça neighborhood

In the heart of Lisbon, next to the Church Igreja da Graça there are almost two hectares of green spaces. Flanking a long central lawn, with 180 trees and bushes and also a picnic area with a fruit orchard. Who walks today in this beautiful garden in Lisbon is could have never imagined that this was forbidden to the public for centuries and only in 2015 is opened its doors.

In Jardim da Cerca da Graça you  can admire the fabulous view of old Lisbon which runs from the Castle of St. George to the Moorish quarter as it takes advantage of the sun's rays or even a cool shade on a hot day. The ancient land of the Ministry of Defense made some new lungs for Lisbon being ideal for the inhabitants of Graça neighborhood , who can enjoy the leisure time.

In 1995 José Sá Fernandes, Councilman of the Green Structure of the City of Lisbon (Estrutura Verde da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa) at the time without any link to the local authority wrote a letter to the chamber to order a garden to occupy these same grounds, at the time belonging to the Convent of the Graça.

Twenty years later, this garden managed to finally open its doors. And they burst open, not only for the Graça neighbourhood residents and for weekenders or visitors to the city of seven hills.Today you can enjoy the panoramic view over the São Jorge Castle and Tagus river, enjoying the garden the playground or the kiosk where you see more and more people at the time of the sunset.

Having a green area of this size with 1.7 hectares in the heart of a capital of a country is a genuine luxury. In addition to this factor so important to the residents of the Graça area, this space also enabled to shorten the distance between the downtown of Graça, who now can go walk by the Moorish quarter.