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BELÉM TOWER
Torre de Belém, officially Torre São Vicente, was built between 1514 and 1520 by the military architect Francisco de Arruda and belonged to the formation of defense of the Tagus basin. It was built by João II of Portugal, composed to the south by the tower of São Sebastião da Caparica (1481) and to the west by the Tower of Santo António de Cascais (1488). The tower, 35 meters high, has three floors and a terrace overlooking the surrounding landscape, which was essential for the performance of its functions.
The Torre de Belém was the first Portuguese fortification with two floors of firing positions, marking a new evolution of military architecture.
One of the city's ex libris, the monument is an architectural icon from the reign of King Manuel I, in a synthesis between the medieval tradition keep and the modern bastion, where artillery pieces were displayed.
Over time, the tower lost its function as a defense of the Tagus bar and, after the Filipino occupation, the old magazines gave way to dungeons. On the four floors of the tower, the Sala do Governador, the Sala dos Reis, the Sala de Audiências and, finally, the Chapel with its characteristic 16th-century vaults remain.
Um dos ex libris da cidade, o monumento é um ícone da arquitetura do reinado de D. Manuel I, numa síntese entre a torre de menagem de tradição medieval e o baluarte moderno, onde se dispunham peças de artilharia.
Ao longo do tempo, a torre foi perdendo a sua função de defesa da barra do Tejo e, a partir da ocupação filipina, os antigos paióis deram lugar a masmorras. Nos quatro pisos da torre, mantêm-se a Sala do Governador, a Sala dos Reis, a Sala de Audiências e, finalmente, a Capela com as suas características abóbadas quinhentistas.
The monument stands out for its implicit nationalism, which refers to the time when Portugal was a global power (at the beginning of the Modern Age).
The Tower of Belém is considered one of the main works of the Manueline style, thanks to its many typical elements, such as the armillary sphere (symbol of Manuel I), the cross of the order of Christ (to which Manuel I belonged) or elaborate warheads. However, certain ornaments on the tower date from its restoration in the mid-19th century, such as the shields bearing the cross of the military order of Christ, decorating the battlements as well as the small cloister. The most elaborate decorations are facing the Tagus.
Among all that can be seen, we highlight, for its uniqueness, the base of the watchtowers adorned with images of wild animals, including a rhinoceros that is considered the first sculpture of this animal in Western European art. This rhinoceros was probably one of those that Manuel I sent to the pope in 1515.
Among all that can be seen, we highlight, for its uniqueness, the base of the watchtowers adorned with images of wild animals, including a rhinoceros that is considered the first sculpture of this animal in Western European art. This rhinoceros was probably one of those that Manuel I sent to the pope in 1515.
In the 1840s, under the impulse of the writer Almeida Garrett, the tower of Belém was restored by King Fernando II of Portugal. At the same time, Neo-Manueline ornaments were added to the building.
It was declared a National Monument in 1910. Together with the Jerónimos Monastery, it was classified in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and elected as one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal in 2007.
In any visit to Lisbon, a visit to this monument is mandatory.
GPS coordinates: 38º 41' 30" N, 9º 12' 57" W