Praça do Comércio

Units from the Army School of Practical Cavalry, under the command of Captain Salgueiro Maia, rolled into Lisbon with a column of armored cars and trucks.

Their primary target was the Praça do Comércio, also known as Terreiro do Paço, the vast waterfront square that housed the Ministry of Finance and the central government buildings.

Another group of officers and troops headed for the airport, the radio stations, and the headquarters of the PID, the secret police.

The soldiers moved with an almost surreal calm.

A loyalist general at the Ministry of Defense did receive a report about the troop movements, but he dismissed it as a minor training exercise, a blunder that would become a footnote in history.

The MFA's control of the city was established with surprising speed.

By four AM, Salgueiro Maia's column had successfully occupied the Praça do Comércio.

They positioned their vehicles in a semicircle, effectively sealing off the square.