Your Home in Mouraria - Castle and Music

Neighbourhood

This district, in the heart of Lisbon, has more than 900 years of history. Mouraria is where the Muslims settled after the Christian conquest, and it is believed that their melancholic Islamic songs are the origin of Fado, the traditional music of Lisbon. The heritage of Arab urban planning is still visible in its streets. The neighborhood has always been linked to the commercial activities that the capital has carried out over the centuries. In this area and the surrounding neighborhoods, the first productions of Portuguese Mudejar art originally appeared, which later gave rise to the Manueline style. On our street, next to the Three Mills of Mouraria, Maria Severa Onofriana was born — a Portuguese singer and an icon of Fado music. In front of the Fado house, Fernando Maurício was born in the 20th century, considered the “king of Fado in the Moorish quarter.” Our street is now part of Fado iconography. Further up, in a pink house called Lagares, Mariza — the most internationally renowned contemporary Portuguese Fado singer — grew up, and it was there that she learned to sing Fado. After the opening of a Moorish shopping center in Martim Moniz, the area became very busy, with a great deal of commercial activity all around. Today, Lisbon is considered one of the safest capitals in the world. Crime is low, although pickpocketing does occur. Mouraria is a melting pot of people from different cultures and, at the same time, a place that keeps ancient folk traditions alive, as seen in the various Fado houses, bars, taverns, local cultural and sports activities, along with Chinese, Indian, and other international commercial establishments.