A few years ago, it would have been unthinkable for anyone to recommend that tourists visiting Lisbon should go to Quinta do Mocho. There are more than murals here, most of which are several stories tall. If you like street art, then you really should carve out half a day in your Lisbon itinerary to visit Quinta do Mocho. Previously painted a uniform yellow, the buildings of Quinta do Mocho now burst with color. Quinta do Mocho was built around the turn of the 21st century to house people who had been living in a nearby slum that was not unlike the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
Their shacks and haphazard houses that they had built themselves were torn down, and they were relocated to this group of high-rise buildings. It was difficult for them to catch transport into the city, as the bus company refused to install a bus stop near the housing estate.
Some of the murals tell inspiring stories of people who overcame difficult odds. Then in , the local government brought in national and international artists to cover the buildings in colorful murals, and things quickly started to change.
Residents embraced the initiative, so it continued. A street art festival has been held here almost every year since then, and the number of murals continues to increase. Currently, there are Instead of being ashamed of where they live, local residents have started to take pride in being from Quinta do Mocho. They have created an association of local guides to lead tours of the neighborhood for tourists, school groups and visiting dignitaries. Even the President of Portugal has made a visit.
And while life remains difficult for many of the underprivileged people who live here, at least they now have a supermarket nearby and a bus stop right across the street from their complex. Unlike in other street art neighborhoods like Wynwood in Miami, Florida , the art has not led to gentrification here.
