Marquês de Pombal Square, Main square in Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal
Praça Marquês de Pombal is the main square of Vila Real de Santo António, a town in southern Portugal near the Spanish border. The square has four equal sides lined with uniform buildings that have shops at street level and homes above, with a tall obelisk standing at the center.
The square was laid out in 1776 as part of the founding of Vila Real de Santo António, a town built rapidly from scratch following the Pombaline model of urban planning. The architect Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos designed the overall layout, placing this square at the heart of the new town.
The name of the square honors the Marquis of Pombal, the statesman who oversaw Portugal's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. The crowned obelisk at its center is dedicated to King D. José I., whose reign is directly tied to the founding of the town.
The square sits at the center of town and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the old town. It is open year-round and has benches along the edges, with cafes nearby where you can sit outside.
The entire town of Vila Real de Santo António was built in less than a year, which is extremely rare for a town of its size anywhere in Europe. This square is the centerpiece of that project, and its layout has changed very little since it was built in the 18th century.
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