The Monastery of the Hieronymites (“Monasteiro dos Jerónimos” in Portuguese) is one of Lisbon’s architectural wonders. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It is located in the Belém district, at the level of Lisbon’s old port. Like the nearby Belém Tower, this monastery is a faithful reminder of Portugal’s opulence during the Great Discoveries (15th and 16th centuries). The monks of the Order of St. Jerome, known as the Hieronymites, occupied the site until 1834.
Construction began in 1505, on the orders of King Manuel I, on the very site where a hermitage had previously stood. Its existence is closely linked to Vasco da Gama’s discovery of India in 1495. Indeed, it was largely financed by “pepper money”, a direct tax levied on the Indian spice trade.
The monastery consists of a church, a cloister and wings reserved for the monks’ living quarters. The south portal of the Santa Maria church boasts grandiose sculpted ornamentation. It features gables, pinnacles and niches lined with statues. This is the site’s greatest point of interest. The high nave, supported by slender octagonal pillars, lends the edifice all its majesty.
The visit to the Hieronymites Monastery was made on September 22, 2012.
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