A place travelers can visit Jeronimos Monastery in Belem

Reviews: Jeronimos Monastery in Belem

General description: Jeronimos Monastery in Belem

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Description
The colossal Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was built at the royal command of Manuel I, who wanted a monastery and a pantheon for the royal family erected on the River Tejo, close to the mouth of the harbour. Starting in 1502, the building work took a good one hundred years and gobbled up astronomical amounts of money from African and Oriental trade. The end result was a mighty structure with a façade over 300 m wide, and a hall church with royal tombs around the altar area. Close to the west door, you can see the sarcophagi of explorer Vasco da Gama and the national poet, Luís de Camões, borne aloft by lions. The double-storey cloister is a gem of Manueline architecture. There are cheeky looking gargoyles, and columns - seemingly turned on a lathe - that cast filigree shadows. Eagles, flowers and winged fantastical creatures adorn the sides which are completely covered in embellishments. A simple stone monolith in the cloister marks the tomb of Fernando Pessoa.
Vasco da Gama's tomb is supported by lions; birds of prey and fantastical beasts crowd the cloister - see the astonishing stone embellishments at Lisbon's famous monastery.

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