Joaquim Machado de Castro was the most important Portuguese sculptor during the second half of the 18th century. He came from Coimbra, the old university town on the Mondego, and spent time at the school for sculptors founded by King Joaô in Mafra, north-west of Lisbon. Machado de Castro was known best of all for his highly vivid Christmas crib scenes, examples of which are in the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, the Sé Patriarcal Cathedral and the Basílica da Estrêla in Lisbon. During the rebuilding of Lisbon after the earthquake of 1755, Machado de Castro designed the equestrian statue of King José I on the Praça do Comércio. //