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LISBON -
Places to visit :
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Belém : The entire area of Belem
is closely associated with the Portuguese Age of Discovery. The
natural harbor made it an ideal launching point for the exploratory
voyages which turned Portugal into a major economic
force. These days, though, it hardly seems possible Portugal
was once a dominant world power. Her global influence has waned,
but the Portuguese people remain justly proud of their sea-faring
heritage and it shows. The former prosperity has been transformed
into a more subtle, enduring quality.
In 1755, Lisbon and the
surrounding region including the Belem area, suffered through
a devastating earthquake.
As fate would have it, much of Belem was spared. Luckily, the
primary historical points of interest were not toppled into dust.
The Tower of Belem is
the sentinel over the Tagus river that protects the entrance into Lisbon ; a city
that has always been the object of much covetousness.
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| Built between 1514 and
1520 under the supervision of the architect Francisco da Arruda,
the tower Sao Vincente de Belem was the essential part of the
defense complex built to protect the mouth of the Tagus river.
Even today, its forms evoke the traditional dungeons of medieval
castles. This very singular Manueline style building went through
many architectural changes due to the development of artillery,
and it presents certain structural aspects of modern bastions. |
Praça Ribeira
: Mercado da Ribeira
Avenida 24 de Julho, Cais do
Sodré, 1200 Metro Cais do Sodré. Open 6am-2pm Mon-Sat. No
credit cards.Within its imposing domed building,
the Mercado da Ribeira is a functional affair, so expect
to dodge men carrying half a cow on their shoulders.
It's an atmospheric place, with
the smell of coriander and coffee hanging thickly in the
air and some original azulejos decorating the walls. A huge
variety of fresh fish, from the eel-like peixe espada (scabbard
fish) to the ugly tamboril (monkfish), are stacked up daily
along with thousands of sardines selling for around 500$00
a kilo. The ground-floor fish, vegetable and meat stalls
all start up at 6am. The vegetables run until about 9am
and the meat and fish until 2pm.
No fresh fish on Mondays. On
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the flower sellers set
up between 7am and 11am. Upstairs is a mass of colour, with
vegetable and flower sellers operating from 6am until 2pm,
overseen by an army of cats curled up on packing crates. |
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Igreja de Sao
Roque : Museu de São Roque/Igreja
de São Roque - the Jesuits founded St. Roque Church
in the late 16th century. Beneath its painted wood
ceiling, the church contains a celebrated chapel by
Luigi Vanvitelli honoring John the Baptist.
The chapel,
ordered by the Bragança king João V in 1741, was assembled
in Rome from such precious materials as alabaster
and lapis lazuli, then dismantled, shipped to Lisbon,
and reassembled.
The marble mosaics look like a painting.
You can also visit the sacristy, rich in paintings
illustrating scenes from the lives of saints pertaining
to the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits held great power
in Portugal, at one time virtually governing the country
for the king. |
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| The St. Roque Museum inside
the church merits a visit chiefly for its collection
of baroque silver. A pair of bronze-and-silver torch
holders, weighing about 840 pounds, is among the most
elaborate in Europe. The 18th-century gold embroidery
is a rare treasure, as are the vestments. The paintings,
mainly from the 16th century, include one of a double-chinned
Catherine of Austria and another of the wedding ceremony
of Manuel I. Look for a remarkable 15th-century Virgin
(with Child) of the Plague and a polished 18th-century
conch shell that served as a baptismal font. |
MORE
PLACES TO VISIT
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