Santa Maria Maior (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsɐ̃tɐ mɐˈɾi.

ɐ mɐˈjɔɾ]) is a freguesia (civil parish) and

district of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Located in the historic center of Lisbon, Santa Maria Maior is to
the west of São Vicente, east of Misericórdia, and south of Arroios and Santo António. It is home to
numerous historic monuments, including Lisbon Cathedral, the Rossio, and the Praça do Comércio, as
well as famous neighborhoods, such as the Lisbon Baixa, as well as parts of Bairro Alto and Alfama. The
population in 2011 was 12,822,[1]

History

The Praça do Comércio.

The parish was created by the administrative reorganization of Lisbon on 8 December 2012,[2] from the
incorporation of other 12 old small parishes: Mártires, Sacramento, São Nicolau, Madalena, Santa Justa,
Sé, Santiago, São Cristóvão e São Lourenço, Castelo, Socorro, São Miguel and Santo Estêvão.

The official name of the freguesia comes from Cathedral of Santa Maria Maior, seat of the Patriarchate
of Lisbon.

The Baixa was built following the destruction of the 1755 Great Earthquake of Lisbon, under orders of
King Joseph I of Portugal's prime minister, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal,
whose architects rebuilt the area in what is known as the Pombaline style.

Landmarks

Baixa neighborhood

Pillory of Lisbon

Lisbon Cathedral

Praça do Comércio

Praça da Figueira

Restauradores Square

Rossio

Queen Maria II National Theatre

Santa Justa Elevator

Lisbon City Hall

Alfama neighborhood

Casa dos Bicos

Santo António Church

Igreja de Santa Luzia

Castelo neighborhood

São Jorge Castle

References

Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), Census 2011 results according to the 2013 administrative division
of Portugal

Lei n.º 56/2012 (Reorganização administrativa de Lisboa). Diário da República, 1.ª Série, n.º 216.
Accessed 25/11/2012.

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