Why the
Jeronimos Monastery
is special

This sizable religious complex is a splendid showcase for Portugal's celebrated architectural Manueline style.

It employs a combination of late Gothic, early Renaissance, and Moorish styles. And the sculpting is prolific and (some say) excessively detailed.

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Top 3
Jeronimos Monastery
attractions

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Cloisters

They are artistically sculpted, twin tiered, and sizable (each side measures 55 meters or 180 feet in length).

South Portal

This soaring main entrance to the church is extravagantly decorated with stone sculptures.

Church interior

It's huge and sports a magnificent rib-vaulted ceiling.

Other attractions include Vasco da Gama's tomb Royal tombs The dramatic impact of the site's long and eye-catching front facade.

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More
Jeronimos Monastery
insights

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History in brief

Jeronimos Monastery was built to honor Vasco da Gama's Age of Discovery voyages, which brought significant honor and wealth to Portugal. Construction began in 1502 and took most of the century to complete.

When monastic orders were outlawed in Portugal in the 1830s, the St Jerome monks (who had run the place for four centuries) packed their bags.

Today, Jeronimos Monastery is no longer consecrated. It's a public museum.

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Worthy nearby attractions

Belem Tower (a Hillman Wonder medal winner) National Archaeological Museum Maritime Museum Monument of the Discoveries

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Wonders of Portugal - Home page

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Site map

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Tourism of Portugal

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Photo by Osvaldo Gago - CC BY-SA 20

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