Church and Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, Lisbon, Portugal

The Monastery of São Vicente de Fora was founded in 1147 by the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, as a result of a vow the king made to the saint to recover Lisbon from the Moors. It was the first monastery to be built outside the city walls, so it was named "de fora" (outside).
With time the Monastery decayed and by the mid-16th century, it was in risk of ruin. In 1580 Portugal lost its independence to Spain and, by the end of the century, King Philip II of Spain, I of Portugal decided to have both the church and the monastery rebuilt as a symbol of the new ruling dynasty. It is thought that the plans of the church and monastery were inspired by those of El Escorial, in Madrid.
The church was consecrated in 1629. The canons, obeying the rule of Saint Augustin, lived in the monastery until 1834, date in which all religious orders were banished from Portugal. Saint Anthony of Lisbon (or Padua) took his vows in this church, before joining the then recently founded Order of Saint Francis of Assisi. There's a small chapel dedicated to him in the place thought to have been his cell. Also noteworthy are the Pantheon of the Patriarchs of Lisbon, the Royal Pantheon, with the tombs of monarchs, princes and princesses of the 4th and last ruling dynasty, the sacristy, decorated with polychrome inlaid marble stonework, and an exhibition of tile panels based on La Fontaine's fables.

Opening hours: Tue. to Sun. 10 am to 6 pm;
Entrance fee: €5. You can book guided tours on several subjects here.
How to go: The monastery is within walking distance of Lisbon's downtown. You can also get there by taking tram number 28 (beware of pickpockets) and bus 734.

 Back to Lisbon



















Local: Largo São Vicente 6, 1100-571 Lisboa, Portugal

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