Lisboa

Convento do Carmo

The ruins of the Convento do Carmo, arranged under the open sky, are one of the best examples of the innovative aspect of the city of Lisbon. Of the old convent, the high arches stand out, very striking for their large dimensions. This Gothic-style convent was the most valuable in the city until the earthquake of 1755.

The convent church was built by order of Nuno Alvares Pereira, a nobleman who wanted to retire to religious life. The work on the temple was completed in the early 15th century, so the structure that can be seen today presents a style typical of the Portuguese Medieval.

Monasterio de los Jerónimos

The Jeronimos Monastery is one of the best preserved examples of Manueline architecture in Portugal. This monastery, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983, was built by order of Manuel I, in order to commemorate the return from India of Vasco da Gama.

The Jerónimos Monastery, which is located in the Belém area, was built on the remains of an old chapel once erected by Henry the Navigator. The name of this valuable monument worthy of admiration is due to the fact that during the first years, the monks of the Order of St. Jerome lived in the monastery. From the 19th century, with the establishment of the liberal government and the dismantling of the religious orders, the monastery became state property.

Museo Berardo

The Berardo Museum, inaugurated in 2007, houses one of the most interesting contemporary art collections, so much so that for several years it was among the hundred most visited museums in the world.

As its name suggests, the memory of this museum is closely linked to the art collector José Manuel Berardo, a powerful businessman born in Portugal. This one, from very young he felt attracted by the art and put all his determination in collecting several works until achieving to have in his possession a collection of more than 40,000 pieces. It was at this time that Berardo signed an agreement with the Portuguese government, which led to the creation of the Foundation of Modern and Contemporary Art-Collection Berardo, a collection that can be seen today.

Museo da Marinha

The Marinha Museum is one of the most visited museums in Portugal, inaugurated in 1973 by King Luís. As its name suggests, its main function is to disseminate knowledge of military elements and structures of the Portuguese maritime past from the time of the Discoveries to the nineteenth century. It has a permanent collection that includes river vessels, weapons, uniforms, maritime charts and various objects and navigation tools. It also has a maritime library with historical volumes and books of all kinds to understand the complex world of the Navy.

Museo Nacional de Arte Antigo

The National Museum of Ancient Art has one of the most significant exhibitions in Portugal, dating from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries. The building that currently houses the museum, served during the seventeenth century as a convent and was owned by the famous Távora family. Later, this convent belonged to the Marquis of Pombal and it was he who was responsible for conditioning it as a palace. Some time later, in 1884, this building became home to the National Museum of Fine Arts and Archeology. Already in 1911, the National Museum of Ancient Art was established inside, at the wish of José Figueirido.

Museo Nacional dos Coches

The Museo Nacional dos Coches is one of the most visited museums in Lisbon, having been inaugurated in 1905. It contains inside a large collection of vehicles dating from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, such as the one that was owned by King Philip III of Spain, or the three carriages of baroque style with Italian influences, manufactured in Rome in the year 1716.

Oceanário

After the L`Oceanogràfic in Valencia, the Lisbon Oceanarium is the largest in Europe and its habitat is home to approximately 16,000 specimens of more than four hundred and fifty different marine species.

The construction of the Oceanarium took place in 1998, within the framework of the Expo, and was the work of Peter Chermayeff. The building is located in the Parque das Nações neighborhood and is “floating” on the water, imitating a floating port.

Palacio de Belém

The Belém Palace is a beautiful building dating from 1559, the work of Portuguese aristocrat Manuel de Alburquerque, which in the seventeenth century underwent a major remodeling by order of the Counts of Aveiras. In the middle of the 18th century, King John V became the owner of the building, enlarging and renovating its exterior. It was since then when it began to have the function of royal residence until 1886, thus becoming the official residence of the Dukes of Bragança. Today it is the residence of the Portuguese presidents and it houses the Museum of the Presidency of the Republic, which displays various exhibitions on the Portuguese Republic. Also of note is the Carriage Museum, which displays different types of carriages used throughout Portuguese history.

Panteón Nacional

The National Pantheon is a baroque style building built on an old church known as the Church of Santa Engracia. His works began in the late seventeenth century, without being completed until 1966. Since the beginning of the 20th century it has been used as a burial place for famous Portuguese personalities, such as the presidents of Portugal, Amália Rodrigues and João de Deus, as well as the tombs of other famous Portuguese, such as Vasco de Gama and Luis de Camôes. At the top of the building stands out the white dome, which stands out for its polychrome marble and the dome that crowns it and illuminates its structure.

Plaza del Rossio

Rossio Square, also known as Don Pedro IV Square, is the axis of the life of the city of Lisbon. It is located in the area of La Baixa, just on the northern boundary of Rua Augusta.

This square represents the busiest and most fun area of the city, a regular place where Lisboners meet each other to enjoy leisure. That is why in the surroundings of this square you can find the most popular stores, restaurants and bars in the city, such as the Café Nicola, which has become the most successful of Lisbon.

In the central part of the Rossio Square stands the sculpture of Pedro IV of Portugal, the Soldier King.

The sculpture of Pedro IV of Portugal, the Soldier King, is located in the central part of the square.

Puente Vasco da Gamma

The Vasco da Gama Bridge is the longest bridge in Europe, spanning 17.2 kilometers across the Tagus and connecting Lisbon with Montijo. Its construction required 3300 workers for 18 months. It was inaugurated in 1998 with the name of the most famous Portuguese navigator in order to commemorate the 500th anniversary of his arrival from India.

Pabellón do Conhecimento

The Pabellón do Conhecimento is an interactive museum of science and technology that has been open to the public since 1999 and whose main objective is to disseminate knowledge and scientific culture among citizens. It has both temporary and permanent exhibitions and interactive activities.

HOURS

Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Weekends: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays and on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST:

Phone: +351 218 917 100 Web: http://www.pavconhecimento.pt/home/

Torre de Belém

The Belém Tower, declared a World Heritage Site in 1983, has a Manueline elegance worthy of admiration and was erected between 1515 and 1519 by Francisco de Arruda.

The Tower of Belém, declared a World Heritage Site in 1983, has a Manueline elegance worthy of admiration and was erected between 1515 and 1519 by Francisco de Arruda.

This monument, of great architectural beauty, is located at the mouth of the Tagus River and originally served to defend the city of Lisbon from possible attacks. Later, this tower served as a border center and lighthouse.

The tower was later used as a border center and lighthouse.

Acueducto de las Aguas Libres

The Aguas Libres aqueduct is one of the most famous places in Lisbon and is located above the Alcântara valley. This aqueduct was built by mandate of John V in order to bring water to the city in the 19th century.

The main canal extends 19 kilometers in length, but adding the secondary canals it reaches a total of 58 kilometers. In addition, it has 35 arches that in some cases reach 65 meters in height. Guided tours are currently conducted above them, as well as visits to the Water Museum.

Castillo de São Jorge

The castle of São Jorge was built on the hill of San Jorge, the highest in Lisbon and today is one of the most visited monuments of the city. It was built around the 5th century by the Visigoths, although later, in the 9th century, it was expanded by the Arabs. At this time it was known as Castelo dos Mouros, as it was a Muslim stronghold.

Around the year 1150, this fortification was conquered again by Alfonso Henriquez and became occupied by the kings of Portugal, so it was at this time and until the mid-sixteenth century, when the building lived its maximum splendor.

Catedral de Lisboa

The Lisbon Cathedral, also known as Sé de Lisboa, is the most recognized and oldest church in the city. It dates from the 12th century and is almost generally Romanesque in style. It underwent several repairs over the years, especially after the earthquake of 1755, which destroyed several parts of the church.

Iglesia de Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao Velha

The Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao Velha is a church built on the ruins of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia, due to the earthquake suffered in 1755 in Lisbon. It was declared a National Monument in 2010.

As for its structure, this church stands out for its Manueline-style facade, which is topped by a simple triangular pediment. It has a portal finished in a tympanum and decorated with sculptures representing Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia, surrounded by King D. Manuel I, Queen D. Leonor and Leonor de Viseu, Pope Alexandre VI, the bishop of Lisbon and other characters of the time. In its interior it has a single nave and a chapel, known as the Santíssimo Sacramento. In this chapel there is an image dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Restelo, by donation of the Infante Don Henrique. The interior stands out for being decorated with tiles and plaster. Since 2014 it underwent a major remodeling.

Iglesia de San Vicente de Fora

The Church of San Vicente de Fora is dated 1582 although it was built by the first king of Portugal, Alfonso Enríques, who wanted to build it with the intention of sheltering the body of St. Vincent, later named patron saint of the city. They finished the works of its construction in the year 1629 but, later, it was affected in 1755 by the earthquake of Lisbon being restored and converted into the pantheon of the Bragança dynasty.

Iglesia de Santo Antonio de Lisboa

The Church of Santo Antonio, of small dimensions, was dedicated to Saint Anthony, born in Lisbon. This church was later demolished in 1755, due to the earthquake that devastated the city, so it was raised again thanks to the intervention Mateus Vicente. It should be noted that part of its reconstruction was carried out thanks to the money raised by Lisbon children who went begging in the streets.

Iglesia de Santo Estêvão

The Church of Santo Estêvão is a church dating from 1773 that is divided into five sections by pilasters, three of them central and topped by a pediment seated on a frieze. A large bell tower is attached to the right side. In each of the central sections there are three doors ornamented with pediments of different scenes.

The main altarpiece that is arranged inside the temple, specifically located at the back of the nave, was made by Mateus Vicente de Oliveira and Joao Antonio de Padura in the eighteenth century, which is chaired by an abrupt pediment. It shelters in its center a carving that represents the scene of “Christ crucified adored by the angels”. Also noteworthy are the old sacristy, covered with tiles since the mid-18th century, and the modern sacristy, which houses canvases by Bernardo Pereira and Pedro Alexandrino.

Iglesia de São Domingos

The Church of São Domingos is a church inaugurated in the thirteenth century, which later underwent a major rebuilding after the earthquake that struck Lisbon in 1755. However, in mid-1959, the church suffered a fire that completely destroyed its interior, which preserved its imposing nave and columns, as well as some paintings and images of the sacristy. Of these images the one of São Tomás de Aquino stands out, made all of it with polychrome wood.

HOURSFrom Monday to Sunday: from 07:30 to 19.00.Mass hours: 08:00, 08:30, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 18:00.

Fees

The entrance is free

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Phone: +351 21 342 8275

Iglesia de São Roque

The Church of São Roque is a sober and small church that hardly attracts attention, but it was begun to be built in 1506 and subsequently underwent expansions and modifications by its different owners. It first belonged to the Brotherhood of St. Roque, hence its nomenclature and was later ceded to the Jesuits who built carvings of the saints of their devotion as St. Francis Xavier, St. Francis Borgia, Luis de Gonzaga and St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Once the Jesuits were banished from the country, this church came to belong to the Santa Casa da Misericordia of Lisbon. The interior of the temple houses a main chapel, arranged at the back, as well as eight other chapels of small dimensions, arranged on each side and covered in gilding. Among them stands out the chapel of St. John the Baptist, built in Rome between 1742 and 1747 so that Pope Benedict XIV could celebrate Mass in May of that year and then transferred to Lisbon by boat.

HOURSMonday to Friday: 08:30 to 17:00.

Saturday and Sunday: 09:30 to 17:00.

Saturday and Sunday: 09:30 to 17:00.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

Saturday and Sunday: 09:30 to 17:00 hours.

Telephone: +351 21 346 0361

Monumento a los Descubrimientos

The Monument to the Discoveries is located next to the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery. This monument, which is about fifty-two meters high, was erected in 1960 in order to remember the five hundredth anniversary of the infant Henrique the Navigator, an illustrious explorer who was the discoverer of the island of Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde.

The Monument to the Discoveries constitutes a sculpture in the shape of a caravel point, on which the Infante embarks along with some characters present in the discoveries of the country’s history.

Palacio das Necessidades

The Palacio das Necessidades is a large complex of convent and palace built on the remains of the ancient Hermitage of Nossa Senhora das Necessidades. It stands out for being the only royal residential complex that managed to resist the earthquake of 1755. The first purpose it served was to house the residence of D. João IV and later became the residence of foreign princes who visited Lisbon. It was from 1834 when it was decided to unite the convent and the royal palace to form the Academy of Sciences and finally in 1916 began to be used as the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Palacio de Queluz

The Queluz Palace dates from the 18th century and was built by order of the Braganza family. It is of baroque style but has since the earthquake of 1755 with influences of Portuguese architecture, as can be seen in the tiles. One of the first uses it had was as a royal residence, until it was ceded to the state. In the mid-twentieth century it suffered another serious fire, so it had to undergo a new remodeling.

Palacio de Seteais

The Seteais Palace is a majestic building located in Sintra, on the slopes of the renowned Sintra Massif. It was built near the end of the eighteenth century on the initiative of the Dutch consul in Portugal, Daniel de Gildemeester. After his death, his family transferred the building to Diogo de Menezes Noronha Coutinho, who was the fifth aristocrat of Marialva. It was with this marquis that the work was expanded by opening a wing of the facade symmetrical to the other existing one. This marquis died shortly after acquiring the house so the state became the owner of the property in 1946 and, ten years later, the luxury hotel that still operates today was inaugurated.

From this palatial work highlights inside the decoration of its rooms, some with frescoes, others with images depicting mythological beings.

Palacio Nacional da Ajuda

The Palacio Nacional da Ajuda was declared a National Monument and is a former residence used by the Portuguese Royal Family during the 19th century, after the Palacio da Ribeira was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake.

It is a neoclassical building that since 1910 acts as a museum in which the daily life of a royal family of the nineteenth century is exposed. Of its rooms include the Music Room, the Ballroom and the Throne and numerous decorations based on porcelain, tapestry, painting and sculpture, among others. As a curiosity, it is worth mentioning the 23 marble statues located at the main entrance, each of them representing a virtue such as gratitude or generosity. Today it hosts the most emblematic ceremonies of the Presidency of the Republic as well as the headquarters of the National Library of Ajuda and the Ministry of Culture.

Plaza do Comercio

Plaça do Comércio is located in the Baixa Pombalina and faces the Tagus River. This square is considered the most emblematic of the city and was built on the site formerly occupied by the Royal Palace, demolished by the earthquake of 1755.

This square is enclosed by a set of arcaded buildings on three of its sides, which house various government agencies as well as the tourist office of the city. In addition, this square also acts as a leisure center, because in its surroundings are arranged numerous restaurants and bars such as the Martinho da Arcada, the oldest in Lisbon.

Plaza Marquês de Pombal

The Marquês de Pombal Square is the culmination of modernism in the city of Lisbon. In the central area of it is a sculpture erected in honor of the Marquis of Pombal, who was president of the city between 1750 and 1777. This park has good recreation and rest areas and is well connected. Around it are located buildings such as corporate headquarters of major companies, major banks and hotels, etc.

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Puente 25 de Abril

The 25th of April Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in Europe, stretching some two thousand two hundred and seventy-seven meters. That is why it has two rails at different heights: the higher one for cars and the lower one for trains. This bridge began serving the city in the year 1966.

Museo Calouste Gulbenkian

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum houses one of the largest private collections in Europe. One of the most outstanding collections is that belonging to the powerful Calouste Gulbenkian, who spent more than forty years gathering the objects that today can be seen in the museum, donated to the Portuguese country when he died in 1955. This museum, which is considered one of the most interesting in the world, was modernized in 2001 and houses a wide diversity of works spanning from 2000 BC to the present day.

Some collections worth admiring in this museum are: the Greco-Roman Jewelry, a collection of Hellenic coins, oriental works made of porcelain, an Assyrian bas-relief in the form of a shield dating back to the 9th century BC, etc.

Some collections worth admiring in this museum are: the Greco-Roman Jewelry, a collection of Hellenistic coins, oriental works made of porcelain, an Assyrian bas-relief in the form of a shield dating back to the 9th century BC, etc.

Teatro Nacional Dona María II

The Dona Maria II National Theater was declared a National Monument in 2012. It is a large building inaugurated in the year 1846 by mandate of Almeida Garret, a well-known Portuguese playwright. This theater is located inside a building known as the former Palace of the Inquisition or Palacio dos Estatus. It was in the year 1964 when there was a major fire inside that left only the outer walls of the building standing, so it was under construction for more than 14 years.

Today it presents a neoclassical style of Palladian influence, which highlights the facade with a portico of six Ionic columns on the front that have triangular top. It emphasizes its pediment decorated by a relief representing Apollo and the Muses. This theater is a very important space for the culture of Portugal, since several national artists have passed through it.

Elevador de Santa Justa

The Santa Justa elevator is the fastest transport that connects La Baixa with the Bairro Alto. But it is not only a means of transportation, but also consolidated as a tourist attraction. It was inaugurated in 1902 and during that day more than three thousand tickets were sold. Previously known by the name of Elevador do Carmo, Lisboners welcomed it with great joy, since it would be the first transport that would solve the communication between the upper area of the city with the lower area.