Statue of D. Nuno Álvares Pereira

The monument was created in 1966-1968 by the artist Leopoldo de Almeida. Nuno Alves Pereira was a soldier and strategist in the Middle Ages. He practiced as a simple brother in the Carmelite community at the Carmo Monastery in Lisbon. He was canonized by Pope Benedict 16 in April 2009

After the revolution of 1383, Portugal found itself in a difficult conflict with the neighboring Kingdom of Castile.
In 1385, the battle was decided when the Castilian and Portuguese armies clashed at the Battle of Aljubarrota. The Castilians outnumbered and were better armed. As a military leader, Nuno Álvares Pereira loyally stood by his patron, John of Avis. The Portuguese achieved a resounding victory, which is attributed in particular to the strategic genius of Nuno Álvares Pereira.
With this victory, the Castilian claims to Portugal were permanently repelled. John of Avis was proclaimed king by the Cortes, as John I of Portugal, thus establishing the second Portuguese dynasty, the House of Avis. Nuno Álvares Pereira became a national hero, and the grateful king showered him with honors and material possessions.