This worked from Bruno's phone. I'll ask him if he saved it, for those who don't have a phone that wil read it, and in case it doesn't work from a photo on a blog.
It was near where these guys were playing, which was near a church we had just toured, which had a shrine to Santo Expedito. Cult of Santo Expedito. People who had benefited from his help brought little brass plaques and they were fastned to the collection box and up behind him. Photography wasn't allowed, but I bought a medal and a magnet. "Expedito." He *might* not really have existed. It was noted that it was a cult. I don't think he's fully church approved.
I can't find an image of that little (very little) shrine, right outside the gift shop. I wish I could.
It was in the Basílica dos Mártires. Later we went to a bigger, much glitzier church called Igreja de São Roque, which was once a Jesuit church but was taken away from them (I don't understand all of the story but I bet it's a good, deep one). That church had reliquaries. That church had more reliquaries with viewing windows and bones and pieces of cloth and unrecognizable bits than I thought existed in the whole world. Photos later, maybe.
Perhaps there could be a phone-readable symbol for more info on Saint Expedito. Maybe the prayers could be texted in. That would REALLY be expeditious.
Oh! I found a virtual altar: ALTAR DE SANTO EXPEDITO, so it's nearly possible.
3 comments:
Bruno posted this on facebook:
Here´s the link for the cobblestone QR Code that we´ve seen http://qrcalcadaportuguesa.com/chiado/home_uk.html
there's a movie at the end
Calçada Portuguesa
http://qrcalcadaportuguesa.com/chiado/home_UK.html
2026 update:
The link USED to go to a page with the history of tiles, and images and sound. It also had a link to a directory of that little area—shopping, restaurants, etc.
Here's the text of that page, and I'll put the wayback-machine link below.
HISTORY
Hi, welcome to Chiado, the heart of Lisbon. At this precise moment you are stepping in Portuguese Pavement, original from Portugal ordered by his majesty, King Manuel I around 1500.
The King's Letters in the 20th of August 1948 and in the 8th of May 1500 marked the beginning of this type of paving. The Portuguese Pavement was first done in Lisbon, more notoriously at the Rua Nova dos Mercadores.
The art of paving streets, with irregularly shaped coloured stones, results in decorative patterns, enhanced by the contrast between the pale limestone and black basalt used to form the shapes and styles.
This pavement concept came to life with a certain romantic mentality, where national values should be highlighted in a quest for our past symbols, facts and myths that we consider to be fundamental and defining of the Portuguese history and our national identity.
Diverse Portuguese patterns, figures and decorative elements, associated with social and economical activities (fish, fruits, cereals animals amongst others), typical craftwork and elements from the time of the Portuguese Discoveries (ships, mermaids, ropes, sea shell's, waves and stars and armillary spheres) are used in this type of pavement. Portuguese Pavement rapidly spread all over the country and colonies, and as the craft got perfected so did the art. Authentic master pieces were being crafted in these walking pavements. At this point, the Portuguese craftsmen and their art were requested abroad. In their international ventures they worked and taught how Portuguese Pavements was done.
Today, in the XXI century, this centennial art blends with the most innovative and modern technology to inspire you for a new experience.
https://web.archive.org/web/20120804023953/https://qrcalcadaportuguesa.com/chiado/home_uk.html
Here is a rescue of the portuguese destination, in 2012. I think that because it all led to links to all the local businesses and museums and such, it wasn't feasible to keep it going. Historically, it's interesting that they tried, though!
Portuguese link, on the wayback machine a the internet archive
Here's what ChatGPT said, while helping me find the original URL in Portuguese:
I found independent contemporary evidence confirming your memory. A paper discussing that very Chiado QR code says it was installed in late July 2012, was one metre square, and was intended to preserve the history of the place and promote the culture and commerce of Chiado. Scanning it took visitors to information about the history of calçada portuguesa, including the sound of the calceteiros laying the stones, with further tourist information about Chiado.
Here's the link ChatGPT found: gabriela souza saraceni - grupo
Further, ChatGPT wrote:
So now we have three layers:
2012: Lisbon builds the world's first QR code in Portuguese pavement → tourist/history site.
2013: You photograph it, Bruno scans it successfully, and then posts the actual destination URL in your comments.
2026: Your iPhone can still read the QR code from your 2013 Blogger photograph—but the web destination has wandered off to LinkedIn.
The stones survived their URL. :-)
_______________
I noted that my blogpost with the photo survived; the stones might not still be there. :-)
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