At the top of the 36 meter high pedestal stands the 9 meter bronze statue of the Marquês de Pombal while the base is full of symbolism from both the 1755 earthquake and the turn of the last century. The major carvings are elephants which signify power and leadership while the rough stones and jagged rocks remembers the shattered ground after the 1755 earthquake. The monument of the Marques de Pombal was designed by Francisco Santos, Adães Bermudes and Antonio Couto.
