It was a cold March evening when we headed to a hill, north of the 25 de Abril Bridge. I had envisioned this shot for a long time and I just couldn’t find the right spot for it – until one of our friends showed us this hill above the city. This composition was for me like having in one shot San Francisco and Rio de Janeiro on the Tagus River in Portugal.
The 32nd largest suspended bridge in the world
The Ponte 25 de Abril connects the city of Lisbon with the municipalities of Almada. It is the 32nd largest suspended bridge in the world. During the day, you will see that it appears as a dark red colour and it reminded me so much of the Golden Bridge in San Francisco. I later read that it was constructed by the American Bridge Company, who were also involved in the construction of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. I guess I know where they acquired inspiration?
Just behind 25 de Abril Bridge in the municipality of Almada stands a statue of Jesus Christ – as its name emphasises – “Sanctuary of Christ The King”. The statue spreads its arms towards Lisbon in a kindly gesture. Santuário de Cristo Rei (Portuguese) was built after the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon visited Rio de Janeiro and saw the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The Christ The King statue was built as a symbol of gratitude that Portugal was spared from destructive forces in the second world war.
So, there it was on the Tagus River, the sculpture of the famous Christ Redeemer in Rio and the Oakland Bay Bridge built by a San Francisco Company. With better connection and composition, I couldn’t have imagined a more breath-taking shot, especially on this cold March evening in Lisbon.
