Churches

Churches, Cathedrals and Monasteries in Portugal

Lisbon Cathedral

Reputed to be the oldest building in Lisbon, the cathedral (Sé de Lisboa) certainly has the appearance of being built to last. Compared to the frivolous Manueline architecture of the Jeronimos Monastery the Romanesque lines of the cathedral appear quite austere. Along with castellated walls and arrow slits in the towers Lisbon Cathedral, like other Portuguese cathedrals of the period, had the appearance of a fortress as much as a church.

Work began on the cathedral in 1147, the same...

Évora Cathedral

Evora Cathedral cloisters — Cathedral cloisters

Évora's imposing cathedral (Sé Catedral de Évora) is situated in the very heart of the old city and the UNESCO World Heritage site. The oldest parts of the building date back to the 12th century, which was when the Moors were finally driven out by the Christians. As a consequence it is no coincidence that this mighty cathedral has certain aspects which resemble a fortress. Probably most people's first view of the cathedral is the façade which looks out over the Évora's main square. The rose granite façade consists of the main entrance portal over which is an impressive Gothic window with...

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pópulo

The Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pópulo, also referred to as the Igreja Matriz das Caldas da Rainha is a quirky little church adjoined to the thermal spa. Indeed it was built as the private chapel for the spa in 1500. The style is mainly Gothic with a notable Manueline belfry which was completed several years later.
The architect of this small church was Mateus Fernandes, who's greatest work was the Imperfect Chapels (Capelas Imperfeitas) of the Batalha Monastery.

Inside the church is some fine azulejo tile...

Capela dos Ossos, Évora

Capela dos Ossos, Evora — Capela dos Ossos

The Medieval Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) in Evora is a spectacularly morbid celebration of death. As such it is one of Évora's most popular attractions.

Located within the huge, Gothic church of São Francisco, the Chapel of Bones is everything its name suggests. A vaulted ceiling supported by eight columns is about the only part of the chapel that is not covered in the human skulls and bones. It is estimated that there are over 5,000 skulls decorating the chapel many of which were dug up from the many monastic cemeteries in the area.

Apparently the cemeteries were...

Igreja do Carmo, Faro

The Igreja do Carmo in Faro, with its Baroque façade and twin bell towers is one of the finest churches on the Algarve. The Carmelite church was built throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries, starting in 1719. Disaster struck in 1755 when the great earthquake that hit Portugal badly damaged the church. However, a new facade was designed by mason Diogo Gonçalves including the now iconic bell towers.

Although the exterior of the church was not completed until 1878, the lavish interior was complete 150 years earlier...

Faro Cathedral (Sé)

Whilst much of the cathedral you see today date back to the 13th and 14th centuries this site has considerably more history. The oldest records show that there was a Roman forum built here around two thousand years ago. Following this a mosque was built here. With the Christian reconquest of Faro in 1249 the mosque was torn down and the Sé (cathedral) put up in its place. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary the cathedral is also known as the Igreja de Santa Maria de Faro.

The cathedral was considerably extended in the 15th century as the population of Faro increased, although the main...

Igreja de São Lourenço

The 17th century whitewashed church of São Lourenço de Amancil is somewhat unusual in appearance having more features than most churches of its size. To one side there is a bell tower to which a long staircase rises from the front of the building. The corners of the roof are decorated with pinnacles and adjacent to the bell tower is a copula.

What really marks São Lourenço out though is the interior and particularly the azulejo work. These characteristic blue tiles are both noteworthy for their age and their quality - dating back to 1730 they have been attributed to one of the...

Convento do Carmo

The ruined Convento do Carmo is situated in the Chiado district of Lisbon looking out over the city centre below. Visible from much of the downtown Baixa district of Lisbon the skeletal remains of this once great Gothic church are a lasting reminder of the events of that fateful day in 1755. Once the finest example of a Gothic church to be found in Lisbon the ruins of Carmo now serve as a poignant memorial with the pointed arches between the pillars rising up into the sky above.

It was All Saints Day and the church attached to the convent was...

Porto Cathedral

The fairly austere and imposing cathedral in Porto (Sé do Porto) was mostly built during the 12th and 13th centuries in the Romanesque style. However, it didn't really reach completion until the 16th century and even after this it was considerably remodelled and extended in the Baroque style.

Occupying the high ground to the east of the city, the cathedral looks westwards over the historic centre. From its commanding position the church does have something of a feel of a fortress about it - particularly the crenelations which run around the building, somewhat reflecting the...

Clerigos Tower and Church

Clerigos Tower by Night — Clerigos Tower

Still standing tall on Porto's skyline is the iconic Baroque bell tower and church of Clerigos. Rising over 75 metres from its already elevated position this slender granite tower was the tallest building in Porto when it was built in 1763. In fact it was not until 1999 that this was surpassed with the construction of the Hotel Vila Galé Porto.

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