Graça’s Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora was founded in 1147 and revamped by Italian architect Felipe Terzi in the late 16th century. Since the adjacent church took the brunt of the 1755 earthquake (the church's dome crashed through the ceiling of the sacristy, but emerged otherwise unscathed), elaborate blue-and-white azulejos dance across almost every wall, echoing the building's architectural curves.
On the 1st floor you’ll find a one-off collection of panels depicting La Fontaine’s moral tales of sly foxes and greedy wolves. Under the marble sacristy lie graves of Moorish-era lisboêta Christians. Seek out the weeping, cloaked woman holding stony vigil in the eerie mausoleum, which houses the lion's share of the tombs of Portugal's last kings. Enjoy the serene and gorgeous atmosphere throughout – there are more azulejos here than in the Museu Nacional do Azulejo – and have your camera handy for the superb views from the tower. Multilingual guided tours run at 11am and 3pm every day except Sunday.
