Religious, Spiritual sights in Lisbon
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A
Convento dos Capuchos
Hidden in the woods is the bewitchingly hobbit-hole-like Convento dos Capuchos, built in 1560 to house 12 monks who lived in incredibly cramped conditions, their tiny cells having low, narrow doors. Byron mocked the monastery in his poem Childe Harold, referring to recluse Honorius who spent a staggering 36 years here (dying at age 95 in 1596).
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B
Sé
One of Lisbon’s biggest icons is the fortresslike sé, built in 1150 on the site of a mosque soon after Christians recaptured the city from the Moors. It was sensitively restored in the 1930s. Despite the masses outside, the rib-vaulted interior, lit by a rose window, is calm. The treasury showcases religious gems, and the Gothic cloister houses archaeological excavations, including stonework from the 6th century BC, a medieval cistern and the Islamic foundations. Stroll around the cathedral to spy leering gargoyles peeking above the orange trees; the sé looks its best when the late-afternoon sun makes its bricks glow honey-gold.
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C
Igreja de Jesus
Setúbal’s architectural stunner is the sand-coloured Igreja de Jesus, one of the earliest examples of Manueline architecture, adorned with gargoyles and twirling turrets. The facade, however, is eclipsed by its interior of twisted pillars, like writhing snakes, that spiral upwards to the ceiling. Nebulous-seeming and organic, they are made from pink-tinged Arrábida marble. Around the altar, 18th-century blue-and-white geometric azulejos contrast strikingly with the curling arches of the roof.
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D
Quinta da Regaleira
This magical villa and gardens is a neo-Manueline extravaganza, dreamed up by Italian opera-set designer, Luigi Manini, under the orders of Brazilian coffee tycoon, António Carvalho Monteiro, aka Monteiro dos Milhões (Moneybags Monteiro). The villa is surprisingly homely inside, despite its ferociously carved fireplaces, frescos and Venetian glass mosaics. Keep an eye out for mythological and Knights Templar symbols.
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