A stay in garden city Lisbon is what people will surely call “best vacation ever” because this city has everything to attract thousands of tourists and make them wish to stay there forever. A place of incredible museums and theaters, fabulous gardens to relax and have fun, awe-inspiring surroundings and bountiful hotels, Lisbon has a unique historical and cultural heritage that is a must to explore to be close to the souls of Portuguese people. When searching for architectural values of Lisbon, don’t hesitate visiting the fascinating churches that have much to tell you about the centuries and the great historical events through which Lisbon passed to become the city that makes fall in love with at first sight.
Belem: the way to the miracle
Nestled in picturesque bay of Lisbon Belem Church is a stylish combination of Gothic style. The majestic Portuguese monument in Belem is an amazing example of late European Gothic and Portuguese architecture. This is a unique piece of maritime history of Portugal. Vast church includes the carved tomb of Queen Catharina Filipa of Castile resting on marble elephants. The tusks were made from the first ivory that was brought from India. Many inhabitants say that visiting Lisbon and not including this church in your trip list is a big mistake.
Lisbon Cathedral: Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa
Lisbon cathedral is the oldest piece of Lisbon and its composite expression of several architectural styles like Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque and Neoclassical incredibly mixed together to create the miracle that shocks countless people throughout the world. One of the original parts of the church is the uniquely decorated facade dating back to mid 12th century when the construction was commissioned by the first King of Portugal, Alfonse Henriques.
Since then, the cathedral has been the seat of the bishopric of Lisbon. Some of the interior highlights refer to three Gothic tombs located in the ambulatory of the church, to the Baroque sacristy and to the Neoclassical chapel. The beauty of the cathedral is so outstanding that you must see everything with your own eyes to fully admire the marvelous scenery and the alluring surroundings of this cultural fairytale.
Jeronimos Monastery
This is an unbelievably wonderful monastery, which beyond doubt is the most prestigious place of worship in Lisbon. The construction was started by King Manuel I and the works were completed in 1502. Nowadays the monastery together with Belem Tower is World Heritage Site by UNESCO. When you see this standing miracle you hardly believe that human imagination could create so much architectural uniqueness and historical beauty. The monastery is also the place where the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luis de Camoes, the great poet who praised through his lines the achievements of da Gama are located.
Poets Fernando Pessoa and Alexandre Herculano and Kings Manuel and Sebastiao are also entombed here. Furthermore, the west wing of the monastery, which was built no sooner than the 1850s, is now home to two of the most notable museums of Lisbon: the Maritime Museum and the National Archeology Museum. The garden of the monastery is also worth the attention: it is centrally pegged out by a monumental fountain decorated with the coat of arms of Portugal.
Go to Lisbon, make your life full of miracles!
