Cathedral of St. Mary Major, Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon's Cathedral, as it is better known, displays a mix of styles- Romanesque, Gothic, neoclassic, rococo- resulting both from later additions and from reconstruction after being affected by two earthquakes.
It started being built right after the reconquest of Lisbon, in 1147, in the late Romanesque style, on the site of the main Mosque of Lisbon that was destroyed after the siege. At the time it also had a defensive function, which explains its part fortress, part church design. The relics of Saint Vincent of Saragossa, patron saint of Lisbon, where brought to the cathedral.
At the end of the 13th century, King D. Dinis ordered the construction of the cloister in the gothic style. In the 15th century the cathedral was affected by an earthquake which demanded some repair, but nothing like the Great earthquake of 1755 and the fire that followed, which severely damaged the building. The cathedral was partially rebuilt, respecting the original plan, but with neoclassical decoration; it was the 20th-century renovations that gave it back its medieval appearance.
Trivia fact: Lisbon's first bishop, after the siege, was an English crusader, Gilbert of Hastings, who took part in the siege of Lisbon.

Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Entrance free (€4 to visit the cloister and the treasury)

Post on Archaeological excavations in Lisbon's Cathedral.

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Local: Lisboa, Portugal

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