Enter Portugal

Moorish artistry influenced the architect Francisco Arruda who created the tower that sits on the banks of the Tagus on the extreme west of the city, in the suburb called Belem (Belem is Portuguese for Bethlehem). Arruda greatly admired the Moorish aesthetics that he had studied in North Africa, although the style is referred to as Manueline after the reigning king of the time.

Belém Tower

The tower of Belém served both to guard Lisbon harbour and was the starting point for the voyages of discovery.
Open Tuesday-Sunday 10.00-17.00 (Oct-April), 10.00-18.30 (May-Sept)
Photo Credits: João Paulo

Jerónimos monastery

A beautiful example of Manueline architecture, one of the most impressive buildings in Portugal.
Open Tuesday-Sunday 10.00-17.00 (Oct-April), 10.00-18.30 (May-Sept)
Photo Credits: Lacobrigo

The tower is essentially an elaborate gun placement for the protection of the Lisbon harbour. At its peak the harbour could shelter 1000 boats from the fierce winds of the Atlantic ocean, whilst also providing a setting off point for fleets of ships such as the Spanish armada. From the 14th Century onwards large numbers of trading ships were arriving in the Tagus everyday and Lisbon became well known as one of the main ports during the age of the European renaissance.

Jeronimos Monastery
Photo: Antonnio Sacchetti

Close to the tower is the magnificent Jeronimos monastery, which is considered by many to be one of the most original and strikingly beautiful places of worship in the world. Construction began in 1501 and was commissioned by King Manuel I to celebrate the discovery of India. Manueline style could be described as tropical-gothic and Jeronimos is the finest manifestation of the aesthetic.

Entering the monastery the visitor is struck by the incredibly intricate carving and decoration that adorns every inch of stone. The complex spider web of beams that form the ceiling is held aloft by huge pillars with carved vines entwined around them. The vast stained glass windows have a richness and vividness of colour that may be unique. The marble tombs of the Cardinal King and Dom Sebastião are carried upon the backs of carved stone elephants. Huge paintings of St. Jeronimos depict him with his traditional symbols - the lion at his feet and the skull upon his table.

The stone cloisters surrounding the monks cells depict countless gargoyles bursting out of the walls like a hallucinagenic depiction of the supernatural. In the eighteenth century extra work was done on the monastery and one finds that the symbols of continental Freemasonry have been added into the mix. For lovers of the esoteric Jeronimos feels like the setting for some fantastical occult thriller.

The monastery seems to capture the exhilaration and wonder that must have struck the first European artists to enter the tropics. Here the extravagance of tropical life is entwined with a Catholic sense of awe.