Alcântara (Lisbon)

Alcântara (pron. IPA2|aɫˈkɐ̃tɐɾɐ) is a civil parish ("freguesia") of the city of Lisbon, Portugal. Its name is of Arabic origin, meaning "the bridge", and refers to the Roman bridge that once existed there in the kingdom of Dom João V.

Although today it is quite central, it was once a mere suburb of Lisbon, comprising mostly farms and palaces. In the 16th century, there was a brook there which the nobles used to promenade in their boats. Through the late 19th century, Alcântara became a popular industrial area, with lots of small factories and warehouses. Through the centuries, this area has lost all of its charm and old buildings, as well as its brook, and the womenfolk used to go there to do their laundry.

Around the early 1990s, Alcântara started to become a place for pubs and discotheques, mainly because its outer area is mostly commercial, and the noise generated at night, and the "movida", would not disturb its residents. Today, some of this areas are slowly being taken over by loft developments and new apartments that can profit from its excellent river views and central locality.