MOSTEIRO DOS JERÓNIMOS

The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, or Hieronymite Monastery, is one of the most emblematic monuments of Lisbon and Portuguese history. Built in the Belém district, opposite the Tagus River, it is a masterpiece of Manueline architecture, a Gothic style characterized by the use of maritime and plant motifs, symbolizing the age of Portuguese discovery. The monastery was commissioned by King Manuel I in the early 16th century to commemorate the triumphant return of Vasco da Gama after his discovery of the sea route to India. Built on the site of a former church, the monastery was entrusted to the Order of St. Jerome, hence its name. This religious order's mission was to provide spiritual guidance to sailors and pray for the king's soul. It took a hundred years to complete, mobilizing craftsmen from all over the world, under the direction of architects Diogo de Boitaca, then João de Castilho. In the ^19th century, the large west wing (now the Archaeological Museum) was added, copying the style of the main building. The monastery houses the tombs of several illustrious figures, including Vasco da Gama, the poet Luís de Camões and the great writer Fernando Pessoa. In 1983, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The church leads to the cloister, a masterpiece of Manueline architecture. A day in the sun will reveal its perfect harmony and creamy hues. Carved stone reigns supreme: there's not a column, capital, pillar or arch that isn't a pretext for motifs, interlacing, variations on ornamental foliage and the symbolism of circles, punctuated by different gargoyles. Profusion and luxuriance of nature, ordered in symmetry as it dominates - the law of harmony. Speaking of symmetry, there's a place in the church marked with a black tile, where the Christ on the upper floor cuts the rose window exactly down the middle. The small fountain, placed in one side of the cloister, used to be in the center. It depicts a tamed lion kneeling on a prie-Dieu..