Equestrian statue of King José I
The equestrian statue of King José I stands in the centre of Praça do Comércio, Lisbon, facing the River Tagus. The sculptor was Joaquim Machado de Castro. Bartolomeu da Costa cast it in a single pour in 1774, and it was unveiled on 6 June 1775, the king’s birthday. The horse is called Gentil.
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What the statue of King José I shows
The statue shows King José I on horseback, in a plumed helmet, facing the Tagus with the Rua Augusta Arch behind him. The horse, called Gentil, raises its right foreleg and tramples snakes.
The king looks to his right, the same way the horse turns its head. José I refused to sit for the sculptor, so Machado de Castro worked from portraits. The heavily plumed helmet draws the eye and gives the figure movement.
For the horse, the sculptor had the help of the Marquis of Marialva, the king’s Master of the Horse.
It is the first equestrian statue made in Portugal and one of the country’s first street monuments to a living person.
The metal is an alloy of 80 to 81% copper and 10 to 14% zinc. The pedestal is lioz limestone.
The pedestal: Triumph, Fame and Pombal’s medallion
The pedestal, designed by Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos, has a stone group on each side and a relief on each face. The bronze medallion of the Marquis of Pombal is on the face towards the river.
| Where | What it shows |
|---|---|
| South face, towards the river | The royal arms and, below them, a bronze medallion with the bust of the Marquis of Pombal. |
| North face, towards the arch | A relief in which Royal Generosity rises from the throne to help the ruined city. Commerce offers her its riches and Architecture shows the plan of the new city. |
| Side group of Triumph | A figure leading a horse over the spoils of war. |
| Side group of Fame | A figure leading an elephant, which tramples a slave. |
The two side groups stand for the deeds of the Portuguese in Europe and in India.
Pombal’s medallion was taken off in 1777, when the marquis lost power after the king’s death. It went back on the pedestal only in the 19th century.
An iron railing with stone posts surrounds the monument. You can see the reliefs from outside it.
Who made the statue: Machado de Castro and Bartolomeu da Costa
Joaquim Machado de Castro sculpted the statue from drawings by Eugénio dos Santos. The army officer Bartolomeu da Costa directed the casting and adapted the methods used to cast artillery to sculpture.
1759
Eugénio dos Santos, who drew the plan of the square, designs the king’s statue for its centre. The foundation of the pedestal is laid straight away.
1770
The making of the statue is put out to competition, based on that design.
1771
Machado de Castro wins the competition. His main changes are to the side groups of the pedestal.
15 October 1774
The statue is cast in a single pour, directed by Bartolomeu da Costa. Finishing the bronze takes 63 days.
15 May 1775
The king and queen go to the foundry to see the statue. The queen finds the face "hideous", and the sculptor explains that the light is poor and the bronze still shines.
25 May 1775
The statue arrives at the square, which is not yet finished.
6 June 1775
On the day the king turns 61, the Marquis of Pombal and his son, president of the city senate, unveil the statue. The royal family watches incognito from a room in the new customs house. The celebrations last 3 days.
2012 to 2013
Lisbon City Council and the World Monuments Fund restore the monument.
Who King José I was
José I was born in the Paço da Ribeira, the royal palace that stood where the square is now, on 6 June 1714. He was King of Portugal from 1750 until his death in 1777, and his reign was shaped by the government of the Marquis of Pombal.
On the day of the 1755 earthquake, the royal family was in Belém and escaped the destruction of the palace.
The Baixa and the square were rebuilt during his reign. The statue was unveiled less than two years before the king died.
How to see the statue up close
The statue is in the centre of Praça do Comércio, a public square with no ticket and no opening hours. Pombal’s medallion is on the face towards the river and the relief on the face towards the arch, so walk round the railing to see both.
Where
In the centre of the square. The Rua Augusta Arch is 130 m away and Cais das Colunas 100 m, 2 minutes’ walk either way.
From above
From the viewpoint on top of the arch you see the statue from behind, with the square and the river beyond.
Frequently asked questions
Who made the statue of King José I in Praça do Comércio?
The sculptor was Joaquim Machado de Castro, who won the competition in 1771 and worked from drawings by Eugénio dos Santos. Bartolomeu da Costa directed the casting, in a single pour, on 15 October 1774. The pedestal was designed by the architect Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos.
What is the name of the horse in the statue of King José I?
The horse is called Gentil. It raises its right foreleg, turns its head the same way as the king and tramples snakes. Machado de Castro had help with the horse from the Marquis of Marialva, the king’s Master of the Horse, because the sculptor knew little about horses.
When was the statue of King José I unveiled?
The statue was unveiled on 6 June 1775, the day the king turned 61. The Marquis of Pombal and his son drew back the cover, the royal family watched from a room in the new customs house, and the celebrations lasted 3 days, with processions, fireworks and opera.
What is the statue of King José I made of?
The statue is bronze, an alloy of 80 to 81% copper and 10 to 14% zinc, cast in a single pour in 1774. The pedestal and the side groups are stone, in lioz limestone. The monument was restored between 2012 and 2013.
Is Black Horse Square the same as Praça do Comércio?
Yes. Black Horse Square is one of the names the British use for Praça do Comércio. In English it also appears as Commerce Square, and in Lisbon it is called Praça do Comércio or Terreiro do Paço. The equestrian statue of King José I stands in the centre of that same square, facing the river.