Ascensor da Glória

The Glória Funicular, sometimes known as the Elevador da Glória, is a funicular railway line in the civil parish of Santo António, in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. It connects the Pombaline downtown with the Bairro Alto, operated by Carris.HistoryIn 1875, a concession authorized the Nova Companhia dos Ascensores Mecânicos de Lisboa to construct a tram along the Calçada da Glória. This concession was donated to engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard in 1882.The final lift was inaugurated on 24 October 1885, propelled by a water-powered counterweight system, and replaced with a steam-powered mechanism by 1886.The track included two cars with exterior wheels, and a central cable that was held by protective shoes. The interior was divided into two floors, with two bunks on the lower facing the interior and two on the superior back-to-back.In 1912, the Nova Companhia dos Ascensores Mecânicos de Lisboa (NCAML) signed with the Municipal Council of Lisbon a contract that allowed them to electrify the lines. These repairs and installations occurred between 1914 and 1915, before returning to operation.In 1926, the Nova Companhia dos Ascensores Mecânicos de Lisboa was dissolved, and the funicular became a property of the Companhia Carris. As part of the change, in 1927, a shelter was inaugurated for passengers, which was constructed along the Praça dos Restauradores, which was contested. It was demolished in 1934.On 1 August 1995, Carris presented a proposal to classify the line as a heritage site, to which the IPPAR consultative council proposed the classification of the tram as a National Monument on 11 March 1997. A dispatch on 9 April 1997 ordered the approval by the Minister of Culture. The DRLisboa proposed the expansion of the classification a building on Travessa do Fala-Só and rectification of the law, which was approved on 7 January 2003 by IPPAR.