Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Lisbon's beautiful churches and monasteries | Lisbon Blog

The Many Beautiful Churches of Lisbon

Lisbon has a rich architectural history, which reflects in hundreds of churches throughout the city. From the Romanesque Sé catedral to the baroque Santa Engrácia to the gothic ruins of the Convento do Carmo, you will be amazed at the contrasts to be found here!

The Sé Cathedral was built in 1150 to celebrate the victory over the Moors, and in fact it looks somewhat like a medieval fortress. Inside is a baptismal font where St. Anthony of Padua is said to have been baptised, and above the entrance is a beautiful rose window.

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Those who want some more brilliance and grandeur better head to the Jerónimos Monastery in the district of Belém. With the structure, king Manuel I wanted to thank the Virgin Mary for Vasco Da Gama’s successful voyage to India. After his death, he was given a tomb in the west portal. The Project was funded by a high tax on spices, and the many treasures brought back from the new worlds.

A little more obscure is the Sao Domingos church, which survived quite some disasters. Although it has undergone some restoration after a fire in the fifties, the scars are still visible. The pillars are scorched, and some say there is still a penetrating smell of ashes.

Seen enough stones and ready for some art? The convento da Madre de Deus might not look impressive from the outside, but here you will find some of the finest Portuguese art. Since this little church also hosts the tiles museum, there is fine Collection of Dutch azulejos.

More tiles, a gorgeous dome and splendid views of the city you can get from the São Vicente de Fora. This two-towered white church overlooks Alfama, and when the weather is clear you can see as far as the Tejo valley. Don’t miss out on the unique ivory statue of Jesus (Brought from Goa, India in the 18th century).
Want to trace back the footsteps of the great explorer Vasco Da Gama? Why not honour him with a visit to Lisbon, burn a candle in one of the many beautiful churches in Lisbon. Rent the best apartments in Lisbon, for a cheap and confortable stay.

Posted via web from barcedona's posterous

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