It is located in Largo da Sé, city of Lisbon, Central Portugal
The Construction of the Lisbon Cathedral
Its construction began in the second half of the 12th century, after the conquest of the city by D. Afonso Henriques from the Moors, and today it presents itself as a mixture of architectural styles.
The Characteristics of the Lisbon Cathedral
The original Romanesque design of the Lisbon cathedral was also built from the second half of the 12th century, from the initial construction of the 12th and 13th centuries, the Cathedral maintains the general layout of a Latin cross plan with three stepped naves with a projecting transept.
The nave has six bays with the central nave taller than the sides, the central one being covered by a barrel vault and the sides by groin vaults.
The transept is equally vaulted, crowned by rose windows on both tops, in the side naves there is a triforium (gallery) in Romanesque style with arcades open to the central nave, and over the transept stands a lantern tower with an octagonal stone vault.
The main façade of the church facing west was greatly modified in the 20th century restorations, but the general scheme of a central body with a portal and rose window flanked by two tall buttress towers follows the original Romanesque design.
The nave has six bays with the central nave taller than the sides, the central one being covered by a barrel vault and the sides by groin vaults.
The transept is equally vaulted, crowned by rose windows on both tops, in the side naves there is a triforium (gallery) in Romanesque style with arcades open to the central nave, and over the transept stands a lantern tower with an octagonal stone vault.
The main façade of the church facing west was greatly modified in the 20th century restorations, but the general scheme of a central body with a portal and rose window flanked by two tall buttress towers follows the original Romanesque design.
The Remodeling of the Lisbon Cathedral
In the 20th century restorations, the rose window was rebuilt, some windows were opened and the towers and central body were crowned with battlements.
The square-plan towers have arcades with five archivolts in the last register that allow you to see the bells inside.
The north tower is still largely authentic, but the south had to be partially rebuilt after the 1755 Earthquake.
Inside the north tower there is a chamber covered by a vault with four Romanesque masks in the corners, very similar to the vault of the transept of the Cathedral of Coimbra.
The main portal is protected by a narthex and is still the original Romanesque style, with four round archivolts with eight capitals sculpted with plant and figurative motifs.
The figurative sculptures have different themes: men fighting on lions, the Archangel Michael defeating the dragon, a queen figure (perhaps representing a virtue) and three small characters that could represent martyrs of Lisbon.
The interior of the Cathedral has few fenestrations and is very dark, and only the chancel area is lit by lunettes.
The central nave is taller than the sides and has an arcade gallery (the triforium), the nave's barrel vault had to be rebuilt in stone when the Cathedral was restored at the beginning of the 20th century.
On the left side of the entrance there is a baptistery decorated with paintings and blue and white tiles that tell episodes from the life of Saint Anthony of Lisbon, the baptismal font is made of marble and has an octagonal shape.
On the left side of the nave, close to the main facade, opens the portal of the Chapel of Saint Bartholomew, built c. 1324 as the private chapel of the Lisbon merchant Bartolomeu Joanes.
The Gothic-style chapel portal is inserted into a gable and has five archivolts of pointed arches with vegetal capitals. Inside, the rectangular chapel contains the recumbent tomb of Bartolomeu Joanes, dating from the 14th century and decorated with the deceased's weapons.
In the north side nave, the portal of the Patriarch's Dressing Room opens, decorated inside with an altarpiece, and images and paintings from the Baroque era.
Adjoined to the south side nave is the Sacristy building, which was built in the middle of the 17th century (1649), and attributed to the architect Marcos de Magalhães, and inside the marble inlays and the wooden chest by António Vaz de Castro stand out.
The current main chapel is Baroque in character and was built and decorated in the second half of the 18th century, after the 1755 Earthquake.
The chapel has three sections separated by pilasters with Ionic capitals and is covered with red, white, yellow and blue limestone panels.
The roof has a vault with lunettes, which allows light to enter, covered with stucco and displaying several painted panels.
The themes of the central panels are God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, while the side panels, located above the lunettes, represent symbols associated with Mary and Christ: the phoenix bird, the Agnus Dei, bread, sun, wheat, lily, door, rose, pelican and flames.
The floor is also covered with limestone of various shades, forming geometric decorative patterns.
The front wall of the chapel is occupied by a simple altar with a painted panel representing the "Assumption of the Virgin" surrounded by a stonework frame, flanking the panel are two tribunes with a balcony and balustrade and, next to these, confronted, are the arcosoliums with the tombs of D. Afonso IV and his wife D. Beatriz.[3]
The tombs, remade after the earthquake by sculptor Joaquim Machado de Castro, are shaped like urns.
The king's is decorated with angels opening a curtain and is topped by an eagle and the Latin inscription translated as ("I long for greatness") relating to the Battle of Salado in which D. Afonso IV played an outstanding role.
The queen's tomb is decorated by angels holding a cross, a book and a cornucopia, and is topped by a pelican.
Both tombs bear royal shields and symbols of death: the skull with crossed tibiae
The chancel also has two organs, one built in the 1780s by organ maker Joaquim António Peres Fontanes and the other recently built in the 1960s, built by the Dutch firm Flentrop.
The square-plan towers have arcades with five archivolts in the last register that allow you to see the bells inside.
The north tower is still largely authentic, but the south had to be partially rebuilt after the 1755 Earthquake.
Inside the north tower there is a chamber covered by a vault with four Romanesque masks in the corners, very similar to the vault of the transept of the Cathedral of Coimbra.
The main portal is protected by a narthex and is still the original Romanesque style, with four round archivolts with eight capitals sculpted with plant and figurative motifs.
The figurative sculptures have different themes: men fighting on lions, the Archangel Michael defeating the dragon, a queen figure (perhaps representing a virtue) and three small characters that could represent martyrs of Lisbon.
The interior of the Cathedral has few fenestrations and is very dark, and only the chancel area is lit by lunettes.
The central nave is taller than the sides and has an arcade gallery (the triforium), the nave's barrel vault had to be rebuilt in stone when the Cathedral was restored at the beginning of the 20th century.
On the left side of the entrance there is a baptistery decorated with paintings and blue and white tiles that tell episodes from the life of Saint Anthony of Lisbon, the baptismal font is made of marble and has an octagonal shape.
On the left side of the nave, close to the main facade, opens the portal of the Chapel of Saint Bartholomew, built c. 1324 as the private chapel of the Lisbon merchant Bartolomeu Joanes.
The Gothic-style chapel portal is inserted into a gable and has five archivolts of pointed arches with vegetal capitals. Inside, the rectangular chapel contains the recumbent tomb of Bartolomeu Joanes, dating from the 14th century and decorated with the deceased's weapons.
In the north side nave, the portal of the Patriarch's Dressing Room opens, decorated inside with an altarpiece, and images and paintings from the Baroque era.
Adjoined to the south side nave is the Sacristy building, which was built in the middle of the 17th century (1649), and attributed to the architect Marcos de Magalhães, and inside the marble inlays and the wooden chest by António Vaz de Castro stand out.
The current main chapel is Baroque in character and was built and decorated in the second half of the 18th century, after the 1755 Earthquake.
The chapel has three sections separated by pilasters with Ionic capitals and is covered with red, white, yellow and blue limestone panels.
The roof has a vault with lunettes, which allows light to enter, covered with stucco and displaying several painted panels.
The themes of the central panels are God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, while the side panels, located above the lunettes, represent symbols associated with Mary and Christ: the phoenix bird, the Agnus Dei, bread, sun, wheat, lily, door, rose, pelican and flames.
The floor is also covered with limestone of various shades, forming geometric decorative patterns.
The front wall of the chapel is occupied by a simple altar with a painted panel representing the "Assumption of the Virgin" surrounded by a stonework frame, flanking the panel are two tribunes with a balcony and balustrade and, next to these, confronted, are the arcosoliums with the tombs of D. Afonso IV and his wife D. Beatriz.[3]
The tombs, remade after the earthquake by sculptor Joaquim Machado de Castro, are shaped like urns.
The king's is decorated with angels opening a curtain and is topped by an eagle and the Latin inscription translated as ("I long for greatness") relating to the Battle of Salado in which D. Afonso IV played an outstanding role.
The queen's tomb is decorated by angels holding a cross, a book and a cornucopia, and is topped by a pelican.
Both tombs bear royal shields and symbols of death: the skull with crossed tibiae
The chancel also has two organs, one built in the 1780s by organ maker Joaquim António Peres Fontanes and the other recently built in the 1960s, built by the Dutch firm Flentrop.
The Classification of the Cathedral of Lisbon
The Lisbon Cathedral has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.
