Belém, although in the outskirts of Lisbon, is a must-visit place and definitely worth the 20 to 30 minute drive from the city centre.
Located at the mouth of the Tagus River, at the point where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, it used to be a humble fishing village. It rose in importance in the late 15th century, when Portugal launched its sea explorations to East Africa, Brazil, and India. It was from there where caravels sailed on their voyage of discovery and to where they returned with riches and treasures from lands yonder.
An imposing monument commemorates Portugal's Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries. Built in 1960 on the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator, this towering structure reminds those who gaze upon it of the days when Portugal was a key player in world exploration.
Aptly called, Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries), it is painted white and shaped like a caravel pointing out to the sea, as if about to set sail. Leading at the prow is a stone statue of Henry the Navigator, who embarked on an overseas expedition to conquer Ceuta in Morocco and later discovered the Azores, Madeira, and Cape Verde. He is followed by more than 30 other statues depicting Portugal's famous explorers. Among them are Bartholomeu Dias, who rounded the Cape of Good Hope; Ferdinand Magellan, who launched his first voyages from here before he circumnavigated the world; Vasco da Gama, who discovered the sea route to India; João Afonso de Albuquerque, who served as viceroy of Portuguese India and expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean; Pedro Alvares Cabral, who explored Brazil; Dom Afonso V, who was known for his military conquests in Northern Africa; Dom Manuel I, who sponsored Vasco da Gama's voyages, began the Portuguese colonization of the Americas, and established a vast trade empire across Africa and Asia; and Christopher Columbus, who stopped here on his way back to Europe after discovering the New World.
I gawked at this shimmering white testament to Portugal’s conquistador spirit. This monument was what for me, truly represented Lisbon. I remember looking at a picture of this on a travel book when I was a young girl. Seeing this in front of me at that moment made me realize I was really in Lisbon ("I finally made it here," I said to myself.) The sharp contrast between its white colour against the background of the blue skies made it look so spectacular.
For a small fee, tourists can take an elevator to an observation deck at the top for panoramic views of the Tagus River and the whole of Belém. It is also known for its marble mosaic at the foot of the monument that represents a compass with a world map in the centre, charting the routes taken by the Portuguese explorers.
We drove past the Belém Palace, a 17th-18th century former royal residence now occupied by the President of Portugal, and the Ajuda Palace whose construction begun in 1802 but never completed. We didn’t stop to visit these but we did go to Belém’s most famous landmark – the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower).
Officially known as the Torre de São Vicente (The Tower of Saint Vincent), it was commissioned by King John II to be part of a defense system at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. The tower stands on a little island on the right side of the river. It was the embarkation and disembarkation site of Portuguese explorer ships in the olden days. In the reign of Dom Manuel I in the 1500s, it was used as a fortified lighthouse to guard the entrance to the port, and later on, as a customs house.
The building consists of a rectangular tower and a hexagonal bastion with sculpted crosses and domed turrets. It has five floors that lead to a roof terrace, with each storey connected by a small and spiral staircase. The ground floor has 16 windows with cannons, and on its western façade, a gargoyle in the shape of a rhinoceros, an animal that was never heard of in this part of the world before 1513, is featured.
I opted not to explore its interior due to limited time. I just strolled along the banks of the river, took pictures, and headed to the tourist centre to buy a bottle of water and some small souvenirs. It was a particularly warm and humid day and we had a jam-packed schedule that morning, so I told myself to just take it easy.
Photo Credits:
freetoursbyfoot.com, welovetourists.com, DIMSFIKAS (Wikipedia), libonlisboaportugal.com, lisboacool.com, theculturetrip.com, lisbon.net, lisbonportugaltourism.com
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