The Arco da Rua Augusta took over a century to build, which is either an impressive dedication or a cautionary tale about project management.

Conceived in 1759 as part of Lisbon's rebirth after the catastrophic earthquake of 1755, the arch wasn't completed until 1873. The original plans called for a bell tower, but ambitions grew along with the delays.

What finally emerged is a neoclassical triumph crowned by Célestin Anatole Calmels' allegory of Glory rewarding Valour and Genius. Below stand statues of four Portuguese heroes: Vasco da Gama, the Marquis of Pombal, who rebuilt the shattered city, the medieval general Nuno Álvares Pereira, and Viriatus, who made life difficult for the Romans. Two reclining figures represent the Tagus and Douro rivers.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours explore the arch as the ceremonial gateway between the grid-patterned Baixa district and the vast Praça do Comércio, revealing how Pombal's earthquake-resistant urban design transformed catastrophe into architectural innovation.