Royal Monuments and Urban Public Space in Eighteenth-Century Europe Henry Moore Institute, Leeds 8-9 March 2002 The Palace, the Market and the Black Horse - The Equestrian statue of King José I in Lisbon Nuno Saldanha Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon nunosaldanha@netcabo.pt In a Lisbon rebuilt from ashes, on June 6 th , 1775, in the centre of the new “Praça do Comércio”, it was finally erected the so expected equestrian statue of the king José I, on his 61 st anniversary, The new urban plans of Lisbon accomplished by the government of Pombal, indeed one of the most important achievements of Portuguese Eighteen Century’s Art, were in this way crowned, with what became the first public monument of the newborn city. The statue of king José I is probably Portugal’s finest example of a perfect match between one monument and the architectural settings and urban design. In fact, aesthetically and symbolically, the statue deploys a key role in a perfectly integrated set within the 18 th century’s Place Royale, in the centre of the modern Lisbon. The monument naturally follows the artistic and urban French tradition, outlined by the time of King Louis XIV and after tracked by all Europe. In this way, the statue is perfectly integrated in the new European urban concepts, and therefore, it’s not a surprise to see the architects and military engineers 1