Statue of Alexandre Herculano, Lisbon
The Statue of Alexandre Herculano is located on the Avenida da Liberdade in central Lisbon.
Alexandre Herculano de Carvalho e Araújo (1810-1877) was a prominent Portuguese novelist and historian. He started his career as a poet, and his early works were influenced by Romanticism. However, he is more renowned for his prose, particularly his historical novels and writings.
His Eurico, o Presbítero (Eurico, the Priest) and O Bobo (The Fool), were instrumental in shaping Portuguese historical fiction. These novels often depicted medieval settings and characters.
One of Herculano's most significant contributions was his work on the História de Portugal, a comprehensive history of Portugal. This multi-volume work aimed to provide a detailed account of the country's history from its early days to the 16th century.
Herculano was also active in journalism and played a role in the liberal political movements of the 19th century. He was a supporter of constitutional monarchy and contributed to various newspapers of the day.
His tomb is in the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém.
The 2.88 meter statue was unveiled in 1946 and is the work of sculptor Salvador Barata Feyo (1899-1990). Avenida da Liberdade is lined with statues and other pieces of art on both sides, east and west. Other notable works include statues of the writer António Feliciano de Castilho and politcian José Gregório da Rosa Araújo on the west side, and on the east side statues of Almeida Garrett, also by Salvador Barata Feyo, the composer Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin and the South American independence leader Simon Bolivar by Venezuelan artist Arturo Rus Aguilera.
Salvador Barata Feyo was responsible for several other notable sculptures in Portugal. These include the figure of politician Almeida Garrett in front of Porto City Hall, statues at the Palácio da Justiça and the equestrian figure of Vímara Peres outside Porto Cathedral in Porto. His work can also be seen in the Parque D. Carlos I in Caldas da Rainha.
