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GPS 38.712727537296956, -9.139639458345256

The Elevador de Santa Justa, also referred to as Elevador do Carmo, is a public transport system located in the center of Lisbon, in the district of the same name, in Portugal. It connects Rua do Ouro and Rua do Carmo to Largo do Carmo and is one of the most interesting monuments in downtown Lisbon. It consists of a metallic tower where two cabins circulate, and a treadmill that connects the upper floor to the Carmo area. The structure of the elevator is made of cast iron, and uses a scheme inspired by the neo-Gothic style. It was built under the management of the distinguished engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, known for having carried out other projects of the same type in Portugal. This elevator was planned since the 1890s, but the project was only approved by the Lisbon City Council in 1900 year in which the works began. During construction, one of the most impressive phases was the displacement of the viaduct and the support pillar to their respective positions, a maneuver that was performed by rotating the entire components. The elevator opened in 1902.

The ticket office is located behind the tower, under the steps on Rua do Carmo. Passengers can take the elevator up or down inside two elegant wooden cabins with brass fittings.

The Elevador de Santa Justa has been classified as a National Monument since 2002.

Description

The Elevador de Santa Justa is made up of a metal tower and a 25 m long metal walkway. The difference between elevator levels is 45 m.

Built using cast iron, it is decorated with lace filigree, in a neo-Gothic-inspired style. The top of the tower, accessed by a narrow spiral staircase, offers splendid views over Rossio, downtown Lisbon, São Jorge Castle on the opposite hill, the Tagus River and the ruins of the Church of Convento do Carmo.

It connects Rua do Ouro to Largo do Carmo, thus uniting the upper and lower areas of the city.

According to the 1902 description, the cabins were made of ornate wood, with several decorative elements, and were connected to a support cable, which could withstand a weight of up to 115,000 kg before breaking, a value much higher than the maximum traction foreseen, of 6000 Kg, if the two Galle traction chains that connected the cabins to the machines were disconnected. Although these chains were only mounted to transmit the movement of the engines, they also helped to support the weight of the cabins, adding a resistance of 24 thousand kg. In case the cable and straps broke, there were also two braking systems, one automatic and the other manual, the latter designed to stop a cabin at any point along the route, isolated from the other cabin. The cable has been installed in the cab in such a way that it is as difficult as possible to disconnect, so the most likely risk would be that the cable itself would break. The cabs were powered by two machines, each with two cylinders using Stephenson's quadrant for reversing. Each could work independently of the other, or together if extraordinary strength was required, so the handles of both were installed side by side in one place, so that the driver could work with both at the same time. . The transmission of the movement of the machine, to the winch shaft where the movement chains of the cabins pass, was made by the Galle belts, whose wheels reduced the speed of the machine to that of the winch, in the proportion that was necessary so that the normal speed of the cabins was 0.5 m per second. The Galle chain system had the advantage of producing a silent and smooth movement, contrary to what would happen if spur gears had been used for the reduction.

History

Planning

The structure, in neo-Gothic style, was built at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century with a project by the engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, who was also responsible for other similar ones in the country. Contrary to popular assertion, the link between this engineer and Gustave Eiffel has not been proven. What is known is that both Ponsard and the French architect Louis Reynaud applied some of the techniques and materials already used in France to these elevators.

Mesnier de Ponsard had started his career with the Bom Jesus Elevator in Braga, inaugurated in 1882, having later launched the construction of several systems of this type across the country, especially in Lisbon, where he installed the Bica, Glória, Chiado, Library and Santa Justa, among others.

The Gazeta dos Caminhos de Ferro of 16 October 1892 reported that Raul Mesnier de Ponsard had asked the Lisbon City Council for authorization to build an elevator between Rua Nova do Carmo and Largo do Carmo, next to the archaeological museum. The structure of the lift would consist of a metal tower, occupying a rectangle 3 m wide and 6 m long, at the top of the Santa Justa stairs, and a metal treadmill that would end in a garden in Largo do Carmo, passing over buildings on Rua Nova do Carmo. The concession would last for 99 years, and the elevator would be used to transport passengers and volumes.

On June 1, 1896, Gazeta dos Caminhos de Ferro reported that Mr. Lusseau, concessionaire for the construction of a park at the top of Avenida da Liberdade, had protested at the Lisbon City Council against Raul Mesnier de Ponsard's concession.

Construction

On 1 May 1900, Gazeta reported that work was already underway on the metallic structure and on the treadmill for the Carmo lift, and that Mesnier de Ponsard had declared that the work would be completed in September. On 1 July of that year, Gazeta reported that the City Council had approved the final projects for the Carmo lift. The following day, the installation of the engine room and elevator pyramid began.

On the 16th of July, he reported that earthworks were already being carried out on the stairs of Santa Justa, in the place where the towers were to be erected. He also informed that Mesnier de Ponsard had already made several changes to the project, such as the difference in height between the two levels, which became 31.92 m instead of 30 m. Another modification was in the traction system, which originally used the weight of the water raised to an upper reservoir by a 6 hp gas pump, and which became a steam engine that directly moved the drums and the cable, connected to the two cabins. This water system, already used in other lifts in Lisbon, consisted of two water tanks, one in each vehicle, which in the descending cabin was filled, in order to make a higher weight than the other cabin, where the tank was empty. The Gazeta dos Caminhos de Ferro praised the design of the lift, in particular the use of pointed arches instead of Saint Andrew's crosses, as had been used in the Municipality Lift, which gave the Carmo tower a lighter and more graceful appearance. However, he criticized the fact that the elevator was driven by a steam engine, having advised the use of electricity, which could be supplied by an engine or by the network of a private company. In addition to moving the cabins, electrical energy could also be used to light the tower and brake systems, and would make it possible to install a moving walkway on the upper viaduct, as had been envisioned in a similar project in Brussels, while a machine steam took up too much space and generated too much pollution. At that time, Mesnier calculated that the construction works would be finished in November. The installation of the Carmo lift was praised by most of the national press, except for the Gazeta de Obras Públicas, which raised doubts about the usefulness of this undertaking for the city. The project for the elevator was described as follows: «a double tower [sic] serves as a guide for two ascending chambers, as a support for the pulley tree through which the steel cable to which the same chambers are attached passes, and as a pillar or meeting the banzo d'a metallic walkway to the terrace of the house of mr. Count of Thomar. The walkway rests on a vertical arrow set and articulated at the top of the Santa Justa stairs and extends falsely, dog-like, to the terrace that must be built on the upper part of the owner's house. This adds to the connection to Jardim do Carmo, where it connects via another very simple walkway. This terrace will be built using reinforced concrete blocks and surrounded by a balustrade. The ascension chambers hold 24 people. The safety machinism is analogous to that of the Bibliotheca lift, analogous is also the motor machinism. The cable is 50 mm in diameter and hugs 180º around the collar of the suspension pulley, which has a diameter of 4,450 mm at the bottom. The machine is steam powered, vertical, high pressure, without condensation, with two cylinders. The general layout is that of the Bibliotheca lift.».

On 31 August 1901, the Carmo elevator bridge was launched, a maneuver that lasted between 2 pm and 6 pm, and which was attended by a large number of guests. The bridge, about 25 m long, connected the elevator tower to a terrace that had been built on the roof of a building belonging to the Count of Tomar. For the construction of the bridge, several conditions had been imposed, such as the obligation not to have any supports on the walls of the building, and the prohibition of placing scaffolding or materials on Rua do Carmo, so as not to obstruct that artery and reduce the risks of security. In addition, the pillar should be located within the enclosure where the tower works were located, in order to occupy as little space as possible. In this way, the idea arose to build the viaduct in such a way that it was articulated through the middle of the end of the pillar, leaving the end of the viaduct, on the side of the towers, articulated in these, while the other side, up to the terrace, would be without supports. , with a large console or corbel in the middle of the viaduct. The various parts of the viaduct were placed starting from the towers, with sections nailed to each other. In this way, the viaduct was flat against the towers on the side that would later be the floor, while the middle of the viaduct was facing Rua do Carmo, with the corresponding bearings permanently nailed in, and their geometric axis in a straight line.

The height of the axis of articulation was determined by the distance to the axis of articulation of the column in the ground. Afterwards, the assembly of the oscillating pillar began, using as a base a strong concrete block that had been buried in the ground. First, the shims were placed for the bearings of the articulation axis of the pillar base, and then an inclined scaffolding supported on the towers was installed, with the bed of the inclined plane to successively assemble the oscillating pillar, starting from the viaduct articulation. The operation went smoothly, with the upper part of the pillar exactly matching the viaduct's axis. Afterwards, the pins were placed on the articulation axes and the installation of the guards was completed to ensure the stability of the components, thus leaving the system ready to be launched in its final position. Two differential devices of 8000 Kg each were installed in the canopies at the top of the towers, and connected by means of chains to the lower end of the viaduct, which was thus slowly lifted, always leaning against the towers, until it was horizontal, while the pillar remained in the vertical. This maneuver was aided by two winches and tackle located on the top floor of the building of the Count of Tomar, which were attached by chains to the top of the pillar, to make it rotate in the right direction. As soon as the viaduct touched down on the Carmo terrace, the crowd, who had been watching the maneuver from the terrace, the streets and the windows of the houses, burst into a round of applause.

The elevator was built by Cardoso & Dargent. Assembly of the mechanical system was directed by Manuel José Gil, who was known to have done a number of difficult jobs before.

Tests and inauguration

On June 11, 1902, the definitive experiments began, which began during the afternoon and lasted all night, having been completed in the afternoon of the 12th. First, the machines and cabins were tested separately, and then the its connecting components between these two elements, with the combined operation of the set having been tested at the end. In order to better study the mechanical components, the cabins were still in skeleton form, that is, without wooden walls, side guards or decorative elements, only with a temporary wooden floor. To test the safety systems, first one of the cabins at the top was stopped, which was held in place by inserting iron beams supported by the tower's canopies; then, a differential device was installed in the second cabin, having previously calculated the solid suspension point of the device using beams supported on the cockpits.

The cabin was then suspended, the manual brake was opened and the device was tied in a different place from the cable's suspension point, thus causing a slackening of the tension in the cable, and the activation of the automatic mechanisms. The apparatus was lightened, leaving the cabin suspended only by the automatic elements, and totally independent of the suspension cable. Manual brakes were also tested, by switching off the automatic system at their application points by a differential device; in this way, with the cable always remaining slack, the cabin was suspended over the apparatus, and was braked by means of the manual brake, leaving the automatic brake out of the way so as not to exert any action. The cabin was immobile, and managed to resist even the force of a high-powered jack that had been used to try to move it. These experiences were repeated several times in both cabins, always with success, and the components were inspected before and after the tests, without any damage being verified. Then, the machines were tested: one of them was disconnected from the winch and the steam was opened, after being prepared, it was set in motion in both directions and stopped several times, a test that went perfectly.

Then the machine was hitched to the winch shaft by the Galle transmission chain, which also worked without problems, moving without noise even at the highest walking speeds, its tension having been maintained due to a regulating device. Then, the second machine was tried separately, and then both together. The last experiment to be carried out was related to the independent movement of the cabins, already during the night. Several workers entered the upper cabin, to make it move by itself only with the effect of gravity, the descent being regulated only by the manual brake. This experiment was very slow, due to the friction caused by the various components of the elevator, which were being lubricated at the same time. Then the test was repeated with the other cabin, this time also using iron beams to make weight, with the journey being faster. This experiment was made a third time, but with three men and some iron beams in the lower cabin, and only the workmen in the upper cabin, their weight being sufficient to move both cabins. Around five o'clock, there was a break for coffee, and the previous experiments were repeated, each time with better results. At eight o'clock, the components were all connected to each other in order to complete the system and leave it ready for normal operation, work that only ended around 4 pm. Then, the definitive experiences began, where several complete trips were made, with some voluntary passengers inside the cabins. During these tests, which occurred an incident that demonstrated the safety conditions: each cabin was equipped with a brakeman employee, who at a signal from the driver should release the brakes. The driver then started the engines, but the cabs did not move, not even with both engines at full speed. It was then discovered that the brakeman in the lower cab had by mistake failed to deactivate its manual brake, which was sufficient to block the entire system, even at full power.

On the 24th of that month, new experiments were carried out for inspection by the local authority engineers. The maneuvers were carried out by company personnel, and directed by António Silvério Vieira, while the municipal engineers were António Maria de Avelar and António Luz. First, experiments were carried out in the cabins, in the lower area of ​​the towers, with automatic brakes initially being tested, and then manual ones. Then, the cabins were loaded with sand, in order to simulate the maximum load weight and an overload of another third. The cabins in motion were observed and then the use of the manual brakes, and then several maneuvers were made to try out the mechanical system, both of the engines and the cabins. The engineers were completely satisfied with the efficiency of the safety systems, engines and transmissions. At that time, a complementary inspection of the elevator was planned before it opened to the public, which should be assisted by the engineer Frederico Ressano Garcia.

On July 9, official experiments were made to test the brakes, cable strength and other components.

On July 10, 1902, the elevator opened for public service. On that day, rain and thunderstorms hit the city, but even so, the enthusiasm and curiosity of those who wanted to try out the new transport or just admire the panorama did not dampen. It was midday when, under the watchful eye of the crowd, the definitive experiment was carried out with the cabins transporting a large number of guests and representatives of the press to the upper station. Shortly after, the Secretary General of the Civil Government, Dr. Alberto Cardoso de Menezes, to preside over the ceremony which took place immediately. On that occasion, a band installed on the terrace of the Conde de Tomar building played the national anthem while firecrackers rose in the air. A reception ceremony was held on the terrace of the elevator, with various toasts being made to the company, Raul Mesnier de Ponsard, the builders, the press and the workers. However, the ceremony was marked by the absence of Mesnier, who was unable to attend due to an attack of sciatica.

It was considered a bold work at the time, given the overcoming unevenness, the materials used and the viaducts built, which made access to the upper station in Carmo possible.

At the time of its inauguration, it was nicknamed Ascensor Ouro-Carmo. The difference in level between the floor of the lower station (Rua de Santa Justa, in Baixa) and the upper one (Rua do Carmo) is thirty meters.

First years

In the first years, the elevator operated by means of a steam engine, placed on one of the upper floors of the tower, which was replaced by an electric motor on November 6, 1907.

In the session of the 12th of March 1903, the administrative committee of the Lisbon City Council adopted a new table of fees to be applied to vertical lifts, which applied directly to the Carmo and Santa Justa lifts. On the day when the regicide of King D. Carlos took place, on February 1, 1908, the press reported that the streets of the capital were practically empty, as well as public transport, including the Elevador de Santa Justa.

Later, the company that managed the Elevador de Santa Justa was integrated into the Companhia de Carris de Ferro de Lisboa.

Decades from 1950 to 1980

On August 31, 1951, the Companhia de Carris de Ferro de Lisboa celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the inauguration of the trams between Cais do Sodré and Algés, and the launch of the Santa Justa lift bridge.

On May 10, 1970, the government instituted new internal security rules, which included the installation of posts and surveillance patrols in various parts of the capital, including the Elevador de Santa Justa. During the Revolution of April 25, 1974, Companhia dos Lóios was attacked next to Gare do Rossio by soldiers from the Practical School of Cavalry, who occupied the Elevador de Santa Justa.

The dramatic Fire of Chiado, which destroyed some of the buildings in that commercial area in 1988, did not reach this elevator.

XXI century

Currently, it is one of the most visited structures in the city, not only by the Portuguese but, essentially, by foreign tourists who seek to discover environments from the past (wood and brass), mechanical transport processes, and the superb views from the top floor over the city. from Lisbon.