Untouched Heights: Penha de França on Lisbon’s Seven Hills
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Photography Claudine Boeglin @dandyvagabond
Just over a hundred years ago, on the outskirts of Lisbon, the parish of Penha de França was given its name. At that time, the steep hill was still rural, weaving together open fields of fruit trees, vegetable gardens, farms, monasteries, and summer manors. The name pays tribute to the hermitage founded in 1598 in honor of 'Our Lady of Penha de França,' where the eponymous church still stands. From Miradouro da Penha de França, the view stretches far beyond the Tagus River, and the steep slope of the artery Calçada do Poço dos Mouros feels even more vertiginous.
Perched at 110 meters atop one of Lisbon’s seven hills, Penha de França seems to float among the clouds—green, bright, and secretive. Along its toboggan-like streets lined with pastel-colored houses, kids linger after school, while a woman in a printed blouse carries her shopping bags up the slope.
Photography by Claudine Boeglin – all rights reserved.
