Visiting the Monastery of St Jeronimos in Belem Portugal

Santa Maria de Belem is the official name of the Monastery of St. Jeronimos. It is one of the most famous monuments in Portugal. Built in the Manueline style, the monastery took over 100 years to build and was home to the Hieronymite Order of monks. The monastery was built on the site of an earlier chapel where sailors came to have their spiritual needs looked after. It was in that chapel that Vasco da Gama prayed before taking off on his journey of discovery.


In 1495 King Manuel I asked the Pope for permission to found a monastery on the site. It was granted and as they say, the rest is history. The connection between the monastery and Vasco da Gama is obvious and his grave is located within the Monastery Church. This is certainly one of the things that you must see on any visit to St Jeronimos.

Belem, pronounced bell-aim is no longer a separate village but part of greater Lisbon and also the home to a number of historic and significant sites to visit. You can combine a visit here with a visit to the National Coaches Museum, the Belem Tower, Monument of the Discoveries and the Ajuda Palace. It is a whole day adventure. The 15 Tram and the 28 Bus come out from downtown and there are several bus companies that also offer cities tours that will take you to the Abbey including Dianatours and Greyline Tours.

The Monastery is an amazing work of art and over the years the many renovations and restorations have changed it, added to it and some cases taken away from it, bringing a little bit of each centuries style along with it. It is not purely Manueline in style but combines many styles and is a strikingly beautiful building.

The South Portal is anchored by a statue of Our Lady of Bethlehem holding the baby Jesus and a coffer with the gifts of the Magi in her free hand. Below her are the twelve apostles. Between the two doors, there is a statue of Henry the Navigator, who by the way never got on a ship to travel because he was very prone to seasickness, but that is another story altogether.

When you enter the Monastery the graves of Vasco de Gamma will be on your left and one the right Luis de Comoes. The Abbey also contains the tombs of King Manuel and also the empty tomb of the young King Sebastian who was killed in a battle in North Africa and his body was never recovered.

Beyond the Nave, you can visit the Chapter House where you will find the tomb of the first mayor of Belem, the chancel where King Manuel I and King Joao III and their wives. To see the purely Manueline style of the monastery visit the Cloister.

In 1834 all religious institutions in Portugal were disbanded and the order of St Jerome was no exception. Today you can visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Monastery of St. Jeronimos. The church is free to visit and the Cloister was 4.50 Euros.