Mosteiro dos Jerónimos - Belém 🇵🇹 Lisbona

We're back in Lisbon to visit the famous Mosteiro dos Jerónimos 🤩 On the site of the Monastery today, near the ancient beach of Belém, there was originally a small hermitage dedicated to Santa Maria, built by Infante Don Henrique in 1452. Legend has it that the navigator Vasco da Gama spent the night in prayer there before setting out on his long voyage. 🇮🇳 Construction of the monastery, begun in 1502, lasted about a hundred years, and the final result is a Manueline-style building, typical of the Portuguese capital, with late Gothic and Renaissance elements. A beauty and value also recognized by UNESCO ☺️ The Jeronimos Monastery never fails to fascinate its visitors with its rich decorations, its richly carved portals, and its monumental cloister, one of the most beautiful in Europe. It is square in shape and measures 55 meters per side, with two rows of mullioned windows along all sides. 🤩 It is a triumph of Manueline decorations, with reliefs, medallions, and ribs in golden Alcantara stone, which shines with splendid honey-colored reflections. In the warm sunlight, they are a feast for the eyes. 😎 Overlooking the cloister is the Chapter House, with a splendid, expertly decorated vaulted ceiling. It houses the neo-Gothic tomb of the Romantic writer Alexandre Herculano, who died in 1877. 🪦 The Refectory is the other accessible site in the Monastery. It is a historic dining room dating back to the 16th century. which was used to feed the monks. Beautiful stone arches, carved wooden ceilings, and 18th-century azulejo panels on the lower walls depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments dominate the interior of the room, giving it a grand and regal atmosphere. From the Monastery, we move on to the beautiful Church of Santa Maria de Belém (Belém in Portuguese means Bethlehem). It occupies the right side of the monastery, which once, before the Tagus receded, directly overlooked the river. It is part of the monastery complex, but is practically a separate space with free admission. Built on a Latin cross plan with three naves, it is one of the capital's Catholic churches, most representative of Portuguese strength in the 16th century, the era of King Manuel I. 👑 This fabulous temple is one of the most beautiful in Lisbon for its Gothic and Manueline architecture, but also for its historical importance, where valiant figures in Portuguese history are buried. 🇵🇹 Right at the entrance, on the right, is the tomb of Luis Vaz de Camões, poet of the epics of navigators, with a marble figure of the writer sculpted on the tomb. 🪦 The transept vault, with a single flight, spans 30 meters. It represents the most complete realization of the late medieval ambition to span the widest possible span with the minimum of support. In this open space, where all the royal symbolism is found, the profusion of ornamentation reaches its peak 😍 Adjoining the church is the large sacristy hall, whose vault radiates from a ribbed central column 🤩 On the back are fourteen oil paintings depicting scenes from the life of St. Jerome 🖼 At the end of this marvel, towards the exit, we finally encounter the tomb of Vasco da Gama, who, through boldness and fortitude, with his crew overcame the fury of the heavens, seas, and earth to write a new page in world history ⛵️ Pastéis de Belém 😋 But how did they come about❓🥧 ❓ It's the early 19th century, in Belém, near the Jerónimos Monastery, there was a sugar cane refining plant associated with a small place of various trade. As a result of the liberal revolution of 1820, in 1834 all convents and monasteries in Portugal were closed, expelling the clergy and workers. In an attempt to survive, some members of the Monastery offered sweet pastries, called "Pastéis de Belém," for sale. At the time, the Belém area was far from the city of Lisbon, and the route was accessible only by steamboat. However, the grandeur of the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower attracted visitors, who quickly became accustomed to savoring the Monastery's delicious pastries. Toward the Tagus River, stands the Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). Not far from the Padrao is the spectacular Belém Tower, which once served as a lighthouse and defense tower at the mouth of the river. Follow us for more videos and don't forget to subscribe to the channel. I expect lots of likes 👍 and your comments are also welcome ✍️ ‼️ For all other social media, you can find me on my landing page 👇 https://linktr.ee/viacoltubo_