Tram 28 is very popular with tourists visiting Lisbon. It’s the ultimate way of seeing around the city without exhausting your feet. Considering the inconvenient structure of some districts (like Alfama, which stands on a hill), tram 28 can be a savior. It’ll also a nice tour, some of the best attractions are on the way. Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora is one of them. The tram will take you directly to the door, you won’t even have to walk or consult the map.
The year 1147 was very bloody in the history of Lisbon. The Portuguese were fighting back to capture their city of Lisbon from the Moors. After the much expected victory, Afonso Henriques ordered to build a church on every spot the soldiers fought on. One of those spots hosted the Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora.
The name can be divided into two parts. First, the monastery bares the name of the city’s saint patron, St. Vincent. Even the remains of the saint were brought here. Second, it’s located outside of the city walls, which is why it got the name Sao Vicente de Fora (“de Fora” meaning “on the outside”).
However, the church didn’t remain unaltered. During the unification with their neighbor, the Spanish king Philip II ordered to rebuilt the monastery. New architects were hired to give a second life to the sacred site.
The church was restored and renovated a few times. One of the most significant changes took place because of the earthquake in 1755.
Starting from the middle of 19th century, the Portuguese burried the members of the royal Braganza family.
The architecture of the monastery is very interesting, mainly because the building came into being due to a few architects. You can notice the differences in styles and features. And the differences are not only in the construction but also the decoration.
Despite that, the main image belongs to Renaissance style. The altar follows the best traditions of Baroque architecture. The piece was constructed in 18th century.
The entrance costs is around €4. You can consider it as a very cheap ticket to a religious museum. There is actually a collection and a few very interesting features you can observe. One of them is the collection of robes.
Here’s one of the best things you can do. Reserve an hours or so for the tower. Climb all the way up and enjoy the exclusive panorama. You can literally stare at the city for hours. Although the buildings and attractions look great from the streets, the rooftops make up a completely different scene. It can be one of the best places to take fantastic photos. The masterpieces will come out themselves, the panorama is so beautiful that you just can’t fail here.
