podtour
Chiado and Bairro Alto: 25 April, the Fire and Pessoa
On 25 April 1974, in the middle of the afternoon, a captain gave the head of the government ten minutes, by megaphone, to surrender.
From the Rossio to the Mouraria: the Inquisition, 1506 and fado: audio walk in Lisbon
Twelve stops from the Rossio to the Mouraria: the king who comes back and the cobbler who foretold him, the Inquisition's palace turned theatre, the Rossio's last burning, the massacre of 1506 that began with a light in a chapel, the gunners' chapel that survived the demolitions, the last imam of Lisbon's Moors, and the Severa.
What this walk is about
In 1506, in a chapel by the Rossio, someone said the glow on a crucifix was only a candle. This walk tells what came next and what lay around it: a cobbler tried by the Inquisition whose verses fed the long wait for a vanished king; a palace for distinguished guests that became the Inquisition's tribunal, where a writer of puppet comedies was tried, and later a theatre; a hospital destroyed on its own saint's day; and, at the foot of the castle, the quarter where Lisbon's defeated Muslims lived, with the last of their imams signing a receipt for a gift from the king in Arabic. It ends in the street where the Severa died, the woman who became a song.
- Start
- The king who would return
- Finish
- The woman who became a song
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about social history and Jewish and Muslim heritage.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in level. The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The king who would return
- 2
The guesthouse that became a tribunal
- 3
The last burning in Rossio
- 4
From a statue of Faith to a theatre
- 5
Destroyed on its saint's day
- 6
A light in the chapel
- 7
Remembering the massacre of 1506
- 8
Free Muslims outside the walls
- 9
The chapel left on its own
- 10
Was fado born here?
- 11
The last chaplain signs in Arabic
- 12
The woman who became a song
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Lisbon, before you go
Light over the Tagus, patterned pavements and streets that change gradient without warning. Lisbon rewards a mixture of walking, shade and a pause to look at the river.
More walks nearby
Alfama, the Sé and the Castle: the Conquest of 1147 and its Legends
In 1147 a crusader wrote down what he saw at the siege of Lisbon: hunger, the dead left unburied, and a surrender pact broken by looting.
Cais do Sodré and the Bica: spies, sailors and a giant of stone
Cais do Sodré has been a filthy beach, a quay for distinguished arrivals and Lisbon's roughest street.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.