Jeronimos Monastery - Lisbon
Introduction
The Jeronimos Monastery is situated in the Belem district of western Lisbon. This Late Gothic Manueline style of architecture is considered one of the best decorated churches of Portugal. Entrance of the monastery was designed by Juan de Castilho and it is 32m high. The western portal has carvings of the saints, complex shaped pinnacles and other decorative features.
At the rear of the church lies the vast square cloister, started by Boitac. It is a two level cloister which was one of its kind at the time of its construction. Juan de Castilho was responsible for the final stages of the construction. Each wing consists of six bays with tracery vaults, the corner bays are linked by a diagonal arched construction.
The refectory was built by master builder Leonardo Vaz between 1517-1518. On of the walls (opposite the windows), there used to be a small wooden pulpit which was used to read the Holy Scripture and the Lives of the Saints. Tomb of Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935), is inside the monastery. He is one of the most important Portuguese poets of the 20th century.
History
In 1496, King Manuel I ordered a monastery to be built here. The original Ermida do Restelo hermitage was found by Henry the Navigator in 1450. The construction of the monastery and church began on 6 January 1501 and it took 100 years to complete this building. A 5% tax on commerce from Africa and the Orient was applied to gather money for the construction of this project. The only products which were tax free at that time (tax would go to the Crown) were pepper, cinnamon and cloves.
After the initial construction of the monastery King Manuel I selected the Hieronymites order of monks to reside in the building. The Hieronymites order were dedicated to Saint Jerome, hence name of the monastery. He was a 5th century scholar who translated the original bible into Latin. The Order of Hieronymite occupied this monastery till 1833. Then this religious orders were dissolved and the monastery was abandoned.
From the upper level of the cloister, it offers a great view of the stained glass windows and the slender columns of the church.
Church
This church was popular among the sailors because ships were safe here at the mouth of River Tagus and this was the last place to say their prayers. Due to its unique architecture and the size (not to mention the history) this monastery is one of the must visit places in Lisbon. In 1983 Mosteiro dos Jeronimos and Tower of Belem became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The church of the monastery can be visited for free from a separate door. Slender columns of this church were able to withstand the power of the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake. Royal tombs are built in the main church and under each of the coffin, there are two elephants. The tombs on the left side of the choir belong to king Manuel I and his wife Maria of Aragon. To the right side a tomb belongs to King João III and his wife Queen Catherine of Austria.
Vasco de Gama
The stone tombs of Vasco da Gama is located in this section of the church. It is believed that he prayed here (in old church) before his departure to the East. Vasco da Gama was the first European who reached India by sea. His first voyage lasted between 1497-1499 and it opened European trade routes with the Far East and India. His body was first buried at St. Francis Church in Kochi (India) later his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539.
The tomb of Luís de Camoes sits next to the Vaso da Gama’s. Luis was born around 1524 and died in 1580, his work is often compared with Shakespeare, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante. He travelled to India to meet his father in 1553 and Luis lived a life full of adventures in India. He came back to Lisbon in 1570 and died ten years later.
