History of Lisbon

The Castelo de São Jorge dominates the skyline from the summit of the highest hill in Lisbon. Its stone walls and eleven towers form a fortified citadel that has guarded this city since the eleventh century. While the site has held human…

The Lisbon Cathedral, or Sé de Lisboa, is recognizable by its fortress-like appearance, defined by two massive, crenellated bell towers flanking a heavy stone facade. As the oldest church in the city, it stands as a rugged witness to the…

Praça do Comércio is a vast, U-shaped plaza defined by rows of ochre-colored buildings and arcades that open directly onto the Tagus River. Known locally as Terreiro do Paço, or Palace Yard, it stands on the ground where the Ribeira Palace…

The Carmo Archaeological Museum is defined by the roofless nave of the former Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Where a stone ceiling once sheltered the congregation, only a series of skeletal Gothic arches remains, framing the open sky…

Largo do Carmo is defined by the skeletal Gothic arches of the Carmo Convent that rise into the open sky, their stone roof lost to the great Lisbon earthquake of seventeen fifty-five. Centered in the square stands the Chafariz do Carmo, a…

The Palácio Nacional da Ajuda is a massive, neoclassical stone structure defined by its unfinished state. While it appears as a grand royal monument, the southern wing of the building remains structurally incomplete, revealing the jagged…

The Jerónimos Monastery is defined by its ornate, expansive facade covered in Manueline carvings that incorporate ropes, anchors, and sea monsters. King Manuel the First commissioned the building in fifteen oh one to honor Vasco da Gama’s…

Belém Tower is a four-story fortress built from creamy lioz limestone that sits along the northern bank of the Tagus River. Originally constructed between fifteen fourteen and fifteen nineteen under King Manuel the First, the tower…