Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon

The Monastery of the Hieronymites (Jerónimos) and the Tower of Belém in Lisbon are early 16th-century monuments in the Manueline style, created under King Manuel I and associated with Portugal’s maritime expansion.

The monastery and tower were commissioned during the reign of Manuel I as civic and religious monuments funded by overseas trade; construction of the monastery began in 1501 and the tower was completed in the early decades of the 16th century. They served religious, commemorative and defensive functions in Lisbon’s Age of Discoveries.

Both monuments stand in the Belém district on the western edge of central Lisbon beside the Tagus River, within short walking distance of one another.

• Date and style: Both monuments date to the early 16th century and are prime examples of Manueline architecture connected with Portugal's Age of Discoveries.
• Location and visiting note: The monuments are located in the Belém district on the western edge of central Lisbon beside the Tagus River; interiors usually require timed-entry tickets, so book ahead in high season.

What to See #

• Jerónimos Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos): The Jerónimos Monastery complex comprises a vast late Gothic Manueline church and cloisters built from the early 16th century, with a richly carved south portal and an elaborate cloister completed in the 16th century.
• Belém Tower (Torre de Belém): The Tower of Belém is a 16th-century fortified river tower on the Tagus built as part of Lisbon's defensive network; it features terraces, bartizans and Manueline stone decoration and originally stood on a small island at the river mouth.