Monastery of São Vicente de Fora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Lisbon District |
| Region | Lisboa Region |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Location | |
| Location | Largo de São Vicente, 1170 Lisboa, Portugal |
| Municipality | Lisbon |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural style | Mannerist |
| Groundbreaking | 1147 |
| Completed | 1629 |
The Church and Monastery of São Vicente de Fora is a very old and important building in Lisbon, Portugal. Its name means "Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls." It was built a long time ago, in the 17th century. This place is one of the most important monasteries and Mannerist buildings in Portugal. It also holds the royal tombs of the Braganza kings and queens of Portugal.
History of the Monastery
The first Monastery of São Vicente de Fora was started around 1147. It was founded by Afonso Henriques, who was the first King of Portugal. He built it for a group of monks called the Augustinian Order. This first monastery was built in a Romanesque style. It was located outside the city walls of Lisbon. It became one of the most important monasteries in Portugal during the Middle Ages. The monastery is named after Saint Vincent of Saragossa. He is the patron saint of Lisbon. His special items, called relics, were brought to Lisbon in the 12th century.
The buildings you see today were rebuilt much later. This was ordered by King Philip II of Spain. He became King of Portugal (as Philip I) after a difficult time in 1580. The church part of the monastery was built between 1582 and 1629. Other parts of the monastery were finished later, in the 18th century.
People believe that the main design for the church came from an Italian Jesuit named Filippo Terzi or a Spanish person named Juan de Herrera. Other builders like Leonardo Turriano and Baltazar Álvares also worked on and changed the plans. In 1755, a big earthquake hit Lisbon. It damaged the church, and parts of it had to be rebuilt again.
Architecture and Art Inside
The church of the Monastery has a grand and simple front, called a façade. It follows a style from the later Renaissance period, known as Mannerism. This front part, likely designed by Baltazar Álvares, has statues of saints in special spots. It also has two tall towers on each side. This design became very popular in Portugal. The lower part of the façade has three arches that lead into the entrance hall.
Inside, the church is shaped like a Latin cross. It has one main hallway, called a nave, with smaller chapels on the sides. The ceiling of the church is a rounded shape, known as a barrel vault. There is also a very large dome where the main parts of the church meet. The inside of the church looks a lot like a famous church in Rome called The Gesù.
Inside the monastery, you can see many beautiful ceramic tiles. These tiles are called azulejos. They are formed into large pictures that show different scenes. These tiles were made and painted for the monastery during two main periods. The first period was from 1700 to 1725. This was called the "great painting period" during the time of King Joao V. The second period was from 1725 to 1755. This was called "the great production period." The pictures on the tiles show things like life in the countryside, hunting, and even fun activities for noble people. There are more than 150 different tile panels and scenes in the monastery.
The main altarpiece is a beautiful Baroque artwork from the 18th century. It was made by a famous Portuguese sculptor named Joaquim Machado de Castro. It looks like a special canopy, called a baldachin, and has many statues. The church also has other lovely altarpieces in its side chapels.
You enter the monastery buildings through a grand Baroque doorway next to the church. Inside, the entrance area is decorated with blue and white tiles from the 18th century. These tiles tell the story of the Monastery. They even show scenes from the Siege of Lisbon in 1147. The ceiling of this room has a painting that creates an optical illusion. It was painted in 1710 by an Italian artist named Vincenzo Baccarelli. The sacristy of the Monastery is very richly decorated. It has colorful marble and paintings. The cloisters, which are covered walkways around a courtyard, also have 18th-century tiles. These tiles show stories from La Fontaine's fables and other themes.
Braganza Royal Tombs
In 1834, the monastery changed. Monasteries were closed down in Portugal at that time. So, this monastery became a palace for the archbishops of Lisbon. Some decades later, King Ferdinand II changed the old dining hall of the monks. He turned it into a special burial place, called a pantheon. This is where the kings and queens of the House of Braganza are buried. Their tombs were moved from the main chapel to this new room.
