Rua Serpa Pinto

There is also Rua Serpa Pinto in the neighbourhood of Mártires in Lisbon, Portugal

Rua Serpa Pinto is a street in the Plateau of Praia, in the very center of Praia, Santiago island, Cape Verde. It is one of the major streets of the city, it is one of two south-north streets running in the middle of the plateau. It runs south to north alongside Praia da Gamboa and Negra and Praia Harbor. It is about 710 meters long, the portion at Praça António Loreno is a pathway. Its elevation above sea level ranges from 30 meters in the south to 38 meters in the northcentral portion. Address numbers are ordered northward. The street is named after Alexandre de Serpa Pinto, an explorer in the late 19th century, he was also colonial governor of Cape Verde for nearly a year in 1897, it is one of the street names that are still named after a colonial governor during Portuguese rule today.

About the street

Praia Pro-Cathedral in front of the street and the square

Praia Nazarene Church from Rua Serpa Pinto

Escola Grande located on the street and the west of António Loreno Square

The street begins after the left curve at an intersection north of the Presidential Palace (Palácio Presdiencial). After the next street, it enters the east of Praça Alexandre Albuquerque,^[1] three intersections followed, the first is Fontes P. de Melo, the second is Rua Júlio Abreu and the third Rua Patrice Lumumba. The Our Lady of Grace Cathedral is on the right, in the north, the National Justice Building is also located. Three more intersections are followed including the narrow pathway named Pereira Sampaio and João da Matta Chapuzet, the portion becomes a pathway. Auto traffic to another portion enters via Avenida Andrade Corvo and Rua Dr. António Loreno, the south portion are filled with a parking lot on either side. On the west side is Escola Grande at the street number of 29, Praia's and Cape Verde's first school (once called Escola Central until the 1960s) with its building out of neoclassical architecture and Café de Sofia with its building out of modern architecture, it is also a restaurant which is popular among the local chess community. The remainder north of Rua Dr António Loreno is a street, three more intersections follows, the remaining two streets are Abílio Macedo and Dr. Manuel Arreaga. The street ends at Praça Domingos Ramos and its street, the northwest part enters Avenida Amílcar Cabral and the main road to the north of the island (EN1-ST01). Inside the circle is a statue of Domingos Ramos.

At the main square section, nearby a street is a restroom. Other buildings includes the second TACV travel office and Garantia on the left side and within João da Chapuzet, Restaurant Panorama (named for the views of the surrounding features of Praia and south of the island and its harbor), popular with businesspeople and Cinema Praia on the right side, the country's second cinema after Eden Park in Mindelo. The Headquarters of the Praia part of the Capeverdean Police station is on the right side north of the main square. The American Embassy is located near Rua Abílio Macedo. Addressed at 73 is Residencial Paraíso which offers free Wi-Fi.

Buildings not addressed to Rua Serpa Pinto are the center of the city's and the municipal administration, the City Hall, the music house and Casa da Musica. Also Praia's Nazarene Church is on the right side covering a block bordering other streets named Dr. Manuel Arreaga, Governador Roçadas and AbÍlio Macedo.

It features colonial and neoclassical architecture addressed to the street and numerous, there are also modern architecture located on the street.

History

The street was constructed as early as the early 18th century and was unnamed, that time, it dominated the southern part. When more buildings were added in 1826, the street extended and became paved with cobblestones, even later in the 1850s, the 1880s and the 1930s. After Serpa Pinto was colonial governor, the street adopted the name Serpa Pinto. Pavement today are no longer predominantly cobblestone today.

In the 1990s, a section at the small square became pedestrianized for only a block.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rua Serpa Pinto.

Coordinates: 14°55′11″N 23°30′27″W / 14.9196°N 23.5075°W / 14.9196; -23.5075