King José I Statue
Praça do Commércio, Lisbon 1100 - Portugal
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The fourteen metre high bronze equestrian statue of King José I mounted on his horse, Gentil, is the focal point of the Praça do Commércio. Designed by Joaquim Machado de Castro, Portugal’s leading sculptor, and unveiled on the 6th June 1775, the king’s birthday, it initiated three days of celebration and a banquet for all citizens. The statue symbolically depicts the horse crushing snakes in its path, and has a medallion bearing a portrait of the Marquês de Pombal under the royal emblem. The figures around the base are allegorical. King José I reigned from 1750-1777.
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