Escadas monumentais, Monumental staircase in Coimbra, Portugal.
Escadas Monumentais is a large outdoor staircase in Coimbra that connects the university plaza with streets in the upper part of the city, spanning over 120 steps. The structure features a wide walking surface with intermediate landings and clear architectural proportions throughout its full length.
Built between 1942 and 1969 during the Estado Novo era, the staircase replaced an earlier smaller structure called Escadas do Liceu that was lined with trees. The monumentality of the new design reflected urban renewal efforts that reshaped this part of the university district.
The staircase serves as a central meeting point where the university community crosses between the city below and the campus above, becoming part of daily student life. It remains a natural gathering place for informal assemblies and events that shape the campus atmosphere.
The staircase is easily accessible on foot from the city center and forms a natural passageway between different levels of Coimbra. Visitors should expect a significant climb, but wearing comfortable shoes makes the ascent easier and the views from the top reward the effort.
Construction of the staircase required demolition of residential buildings and the last arches of a historic aqueduct to make space for new university buildings. This reshaping permanently altered the landscape and reveals how urban development displaced earlier structures.
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