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Published: August 28th 2015
At the western end of Lisbon's waterfront, near the 25
thof April suspension bridge, is an area of great historic and cultural significance called Belém. That is where ships departed for their great voyages of discovery, where defences against pirates were built, and where some of Lisbon’s most important historic and cultural sites and museums are located. They are all near the huge Empire Square, whose fountain contains coats of arms of the various colonies that once formed Portugal’s empire.
Belém has three of Portugal's most important sites, the modern Discoverers Monument , the exquisitely-adorned Belém Tower, and the massive Jerónimos Monastery. These last two, built in the 16
th century, are outstanding examples of “manueline” (filigreed stone-carving) trimmings; as of 1983 both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Our tour only gave Margo and me three hours there, so we didn’t get inside many of the places we had hoped to visit. We did, however, visit those three, so they are the subject of this blog.
Monument to the Discoverers This huge concrete structure, 54 m (177 ft) tall, was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500
th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, and the voyages
of discovery that his work inspired. The larger-than-life statues on both sides represent Henry (at the front), plus various explorers and colonizers who together built Portugal’s empire. There is a vantage point at the top which gives a good overall view of the Belém site.
The Belém Tower This 35 m (115 ft) building was built in the middle of the Tagus River between 1515 and 1520, as one of the city’s main defences. The river receded after the 1755 earthquake, leaving the Tower almost at water’s edge. It is richly adorned with the intricately sculpted nautical themes characteristic of the “manueline” style, so named after King Manuel I (d.1521), during whose reign Portugal became fabulously wealthy. For an outstanding article and many photos go to
www.galenfrysinger.com/lisbon_belem_tower.htm .
The Jerónimos Monastery It's so enormous that its façade can’t all be shown in one photo. It includes (from east to west) the Church of Saint Mary, the monastery, and (today) the Maritime Museum. It was begun in late gothic style with one architect under Manuel I in 1502 to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s return from India, and continued by another after Manuel’s death in 1521. Yet
a third architect continued the work from 1550, which accounts for the more Renaissance style in the monastery portion. Even the main entrance is huge – 32 m (105 ft) high and 12 m (39 ft) wide, and it is surrounded by likenesses of various religious and temporal personages. Here is an excellent site:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/portugal/lisbon-jeronimos-monastery .
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Rainyb
Lorraine Brecht
Nice shot!