Founded in 1147, the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora is one of those gems in Lisbon that isn’t overrun with tourists. It was built outside (“fora”) the city walls, after Dom Afonso Henriques, Portugal’s first king, made a vow during the siege of Lisbon that he would commission the construction of a monastery dedicated to Saint Vincent¹, if he conquered the city from the Moors.

Later, in the 16^th century, Dom Felipe I of Portugal (& II of Spain), commissioned a reconstruction of the monastery, during a period of time in which Portugal and Spain were united under the rule of the same king. Making use of the skills of the most important architects of the time, Filippo Terzi, Juan Herrera and Baltazar Álvares, he left his mark on the architecture of the time. It was one of the first examples of Mannerism² in Portugal, which, especially in secular architecture focused on simplicity in facades and a relative lack of decoration.

The Bragança Dynasty of the 17^th and 18^th centuries, under the reign of Dom Pedro II & Dom João V, installed their royal pantheon here, in turn, leaving their mark in the form of the inlaid marbles and glazed tile panels and paintings that today make this a must visit for anyone who loves the azulejos Portugal is famous for.  

The monastery has the largest in situ collection of Baroque tiles in the country, many of which were fabricated in the Royal Factory of Rato. Roughly a hundred thousand tiles cover the walls of the monastery, while the tiles portraying the Fables of La Fontaine are mounted on panels that can be moved.

Until 1834, when all the religious orders were banned in Portugal³, the monastery was occupied by the Order of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine.

In the 19^th century the Monastery became state property, which installed a high school (Liceu Gil Vicente) here, while today, part of the building houses the Curia of the Patriarchate of Lisbon⁴ from where the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon administers the Diocese. It also houses a museum whose aim is to document the most important moments in the history of the Patriarchate of Lisbon.   

Highlights of the visit:

The entrance hall is decorated with an 18^th century inlaid marble floor and painted ceiling by Italian artist Vicenzo Baccarelli. For a short period, this space functioned as the private chapel of the Patriarch Dom José Neto. The glazed wall panels depict the Christian reconquest, the establishment of the monastery, as well as the kings of Portugal.

The Sacred Art exhibit includes various robes worn by the Patriarchs of Lisbon, and other religious items.

The two cloisters, located south of the church are covered with Baroque glazed tile panels inspired by secular French engravings.  

The church, the most sacred point of the monastic complex, was built on the spot which housed one of the military encampments of the crusaders during the Siege of Lisbon in 1147⁵. A reconstruction took place during the reign of Dom Felipe I of Portugal (& II of Spain) to make it the first example of Mannerism in Portugal in the late 16^th century. During the 1755 earthquake the vault, dome, apse and transept of the church was completely destroyed, so what can be seen today is the result of restoration work that was completed in 1792. In 1910 the church was declared a National Monument.

Decorated with coloured inlaid marble, the sacristy was built during the first half of the 18^th century between two cloisters and next to the church. It is still in use and was built on tombs that were discovered during extensive archaeological excavations that are thought to belong to crusaders that helped king Afonso I during the Siege of Lisbon. The ceiling, which was destroyed during the earthquake in 1755, is now painted in oil on canvas that is glued on wood.

Two of the three legitimised children of King João V (1706 – 1750) are entombed in the Chapel of the “Children of Palhavã”⁶. Named for the fact that they resided in a palace in the area that used to be called Palhavã in Lisbon, and where the Embassy of Spain is now located. The chapel was chosen because the friar responsible for their education, Gaspar da Encarnação, had already been buried here. The hearts and viscera of various members of the Bragança Dynasty are also interred here in Chinese porcelain pots containing formaldehyde.

The Royal Pantheon was established by King João IV (1604 – 1656). It contains the remains of the Dynasty of Bragança, which was the last and largest of the royal families in the history of Portugal. Originally located inside the church itself, it was moved by King Fernando II in 1854 to what originally was the refectory of the monastery. Here where meals were once eaten in silence with only the reading of sacred texts echoing through the quiet, it is only the footsteps of tourists that echo through the last resting place of the royal family that ended in 1910 after the assassination of King Carlos I and his eldest son Dom Luís Felipe in 1908. 

In 1949 Patriarch Manuel Gonçalves Cerejeira commissioned the conversion of the old Chapter House into the Pantheon of the Patriarchs. Today, almost all the tombs of the Patriarchs of Lisbon can be found here.

Saint Anthony´s Chapel, formerly dedicated to Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins, were commissioned by Cardinal Mota and designed by Carlos Mardel in 1740. Behind it is another chapel, also dedicated to Saint Anthony in the area that is believed to be the location his monastic cell during his time living here in the early 13^th century. The mother of Fernando de Bulhões (Saint Anthony’s baptismal name) is buried here.

The 2000 Years of History exhibition is the result of an archaeological excavation that took place next to the monastery on the site that was a rubbish dump between the 12^th and 18^th centuries.

In the Gallery of the Patriarchs portraits of the 18 Patriarchs, who served the Diocese since the Patriarchate of Lisbon was founded in 1716 can be viewed.

A commission to decorate the arcades of the cloisters, which were closed during the 18^th to 20^th century, resulted in 38 tile panels representing the Fables of La Fontaine. When the cloisters were reopened the panels were removed, restored, and can now be viewed where it is displayed near the entrance that leads to the rooftop.

The panoramic 360° views are definitely one of the reasons to visit.

The cistern where rainwater was stored to later be used for the domestic duties of the monastery that dates back to the 12^th century is another highlight as it is the most important remains of the original medieval monastery.

Notes:

¹ Saint Vincent was persecuted and martyred during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletion in the early 4^th century in what is now Spain. It is said that his body was saved by a raven after he was condemned to death in Valencia and his body thrown into a swamp. There is also a belief that his body was protected during the centuries by ravens who also accompanied his relics when they were brought to Lisbon one night in September 1173, where they were placed in the Cathedral at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora. Each year on the 22^nd of January his memory is commemorated as one of the two patron saints of Lisbon.

² Mannerism was a short period in European painting, sculpture, architecture and decorative arts that lasted from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, until the arrival of the Baroque period around 1600.

³ As landowners, the property of monasteries was never inherited and as such never divided amongst inheritors as was the case with secular landowners. As a result, monasteries accumulated wealth over time, which made them vulnerable in times of political or religious upheaval when the state needed money or conducted land reform. Religious orders were banned in 1834 after a civil war that stemmed from a dispute over royal succession after the death of Dom João VI (1828-1834). By disbanding religious orders and nationalizing their property, the idea was to distribute land and goods among poorer landowners. As such, the land and possessions of over 500 monasteries belonging to male religious orders were nationalized. Female convents were only taken once the last nun died.            

⁴ Lisbon became a patriarchate in the 18^th century, as the direct result of the ambition of Dom João V. As the ruler of an expansive empire that included huge parts of Africa, Asia and South America, the king began to see himself as the ruler of a new Christian empire, and as such started to petition the pope in Rome to grant Lisbon special honours. What clinched the deal eventually was the king’s willingness to send an armada to defend Venice from an Ottoman fleet. The only Catholic king to respond to the call after it was issued to various other rulers, paid off when the pope bestowed Lisbon with the honour of becoming a patriarchate in 1716, creating a sort of miniature Rome in Lisbon. Initially the title of patriarch was bestowed upon the King’s royal chaplain, but that was later changed to the archbishop. The current Patriarch of Lisbon is Archbishop Rui Manuel Sousa Valério, who will be known as Rui I, after he was appointed as the 18^th patriarch in August 2023.

⁵ An interesting video to watch about the Siege of Lisbon, and the background leading up to it, comes from The History Guy

⁶ The king had 6 illegitimate children, but 3 boys, which he fathered by nuns (D. José’s mother was the abbes Paula de Odivelas), were legitimised. This was recorded in a document dated 1742, but only published in 1752.

Opening hours: Daily from 10h00 – 18h00 (last entry at 17h00)

Closed on 1st of January; Good Friday; Easter Day; 1st of May; 24th, 25th and 31st of December

Visit the Official Website to plan a visit

Written by: Jolandi