Genoa-Lisboa Sketch Connection

January: Narrow streets / Janeiro: Ruas estreitas

Have you ever lived in an apartment where you could handshake your neighbor from the building across the street? Or even collect their hanging clothes? Narrow streets are a feature of the old parts of both Genova and Lisboa, sometimes even coupled with stairs. In Lisboa, the narrowest alleys can be find the old districts of Castelo, Alfama and Mouraria.

It was one of those weeks when Lisboa becomes a hub for sketchers around the world.

One thing that relates Poland with Portugal is that they usually show up next to each other in drop-down lists when filling online registration forms.

This old 16th century portal in the edge of the old town of Lisboa, in the area called Mouraria, aparently hides architectural and artistic treasures inside its doors.

In Largo da Achada you can find one of the dozens of casas de ressalto existing in the city. These are residential buildings, mostly hailing from the 15th century, with overhanging timber-framed floors, leaning over streets and alleys. A clever way of expanding your real estate, which finds its counterpart in the modern marquises. Clever, but dangerous.

Lisboa has become a city of street art ever since the Carnation Revolution brought with it thousands of political murals in 1974, right down to the international street art stars Vhils (Artsy link here) and Bordalo II. Many corners and alleys, streets and squares in the old town of Lisboa became showcases for this artform