ITINERARY I - Museum with No Frontiers · The Velho do Restelo (the Old Man of Restelo), later depicted by the equally talented Columbano, gained mythical status and has entered Por-tuguese

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Detail of a painting byWeenix, showing theTorre de Belém and theanchorage of Restelo,private collection, Lisbon.

ITINERARY I

The Beach of Adventure

First day

I.1 LISBONI.1.a Monastery of JerónimosI.1.b Museu da Marinha (Naval Museum)I.1.c Tower of BelémI.1.d Museu Nacional de Arte AntigaI.1.e Portal of the Church of Conceição VelhaI.1.f Casa dos BicosI.1.g Castelo de São Jorge (St George’s Castle)

Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo

Praia do Restelo, on the River Tagus, wasthe poet’s “Beach of Adventure”. The InfanteDom Henrique, who was to becomeknown as Prince Henry the Navigator,founded a chapel there for the spiritualand moral support of returning ordeparting navigators. Even today, the seacommands respect and awe, so how muchmore terrifying it must have been at atime when images of Mediaeval monsterswere only just being erased from thecommunal imagination. The small chapel grew to be the parishchurch and was then transformed by D.Manuel I, into a large monastic complex,a hymn to glorious majesty. A votive offer-ing to the Virgin of Estrela or Belém, forVasco da Gama’s successful voyage to

General view of Lisbon.

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India and the future profits this wouldproduce in gold and souls.This was the setting in which theimmortal Portuguese poet Camõesplaced his long-bearded old man, grum-bling about all those who ventured forthon the high seas. The Velho do Restelo (theOld Man of Restelo), later depicted bythe equally talented Columbano, gainedmythical status and has entered Por-tuguese history as the personification ofthose who prefer to stay put rather thanrisk adventure.Manueline memorials such as theMosteiro dos Jerónimos and the Torrede Belém or, more generically, thoseconnected with the era of the Discover-ies, such as the Museu da Marinha (Na-

ITINERARY I The Beach of Adventure

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val Museum), are not confined to Reste-lo. Belém was and is an extension of Lis-bon, the capital of the kingdom and thecentre of the great 16th-century Mar-itime Empire. With the castle crowningits highest hill, the Christian and Jewishareas built over traces of the Roman,Visigothic and Moorish occupations,spread down to the river and thenstretched up to Alfama, Bairro Alto andother areas.Time and natural catastrophes havedestroyed many of the magnificentbuildings erected during this period,water and fire engulfing the treasuresthey contained, but there are still tracesthat recall this time and its many andvaried peoples.

I.1 LISBON

Today, Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, hasa population of about one million.Though the city dates back thousands ofyears, the Roman and, later, the Islamiceras gave it the structures that made it, atthe time of D. Manuel I, one of the mostimportant cities in Europe and the linkbetween the old continent and recentlydiscovered lands.After the Arab Conquest of 711 to 713, thecity developed from the castle hill andAlfama down to the banks of the RiverTagus, eventually covering an area of 30hectares with a population of some 25,000.

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strengthening its surrounding walls,rebuilding the palace and churches andeven building a new cathedral, thoughCoimbra remained the official capital foranother century and a half.Lisbon grew in its number of merchants,the establishment of religious orders anda fast burgeoning port activity. D. Afonso IIIestablished his Court in the Castle of theAlcáçova, the old Moorish fortress, andthe city became the capital of the king-

One of the high points of the ChristianReconquest towards the South was thetaking of Coimbra, in 1064. This forcedthe Moors to set up defensive lines, butthe Christians under the command ofD. Afonso Henriques, who was tobecome the first King of Portugal, tookLisbon in 1147, to establish a new fron-tier along the Tagus.The young king, realising the importanceof Lisbon and its port, moved to the city,

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Monastery ofJerónimos, mainfaçade, Lisbon.

dom. By the end of the Middle Ages, thelife of its population centred on the royalresidence, Paço da Ribeira, down by theriver, to which D. Manuel I moved in1498. The warehouses of the Casa daÍndia (India House), the Arsenal, andRibeira das Naus were built nearby.Roads stretched as far as Alfama,Mouraria, the castle and Vila Nova deAndrade, more popularly known as Bair-ro Alto, and the city began to spread

along the river. There, the nobility builtsecond residences and developed quintas(estates), monks and nuns built conventsand monasteries that were gradually link-ed by houses to form a single urbanagglomerate. Today, the Greater Lisbonarea includes municipalities stretchingpractically from Vila Franca de Xira toCascais, Loures to Odivelas, and fromAlmada to Barreiro on the opposite bankof the river.

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I.1.a Monastery of Jerónimos

Praça do Império, Belém. (Tel: 21 3620034).Designated a National Monument and aUNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.Photography permitted.Admission charge to cloister, refectory and upperchoir. Opening hours: 10.00-18.30, May-Sep-tember and 10.00-17.00, October-May. Visitorsadmitted up to 30 minutes before closing time.Closed on Mondays and January 1st, Easter, May1st and December 25th. The church is open forworship.

The Monastery of Jerónimos, with itsalmost 200-metre-long façade facing

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the River Tagus, dominates the Praçado Império. The author of the originalplan, altered in 1510 and again in1516, is unknown. The Church, RoyalCloister and the dormitory facing theriver, were the work of the MasterBuilder Boytac, but the roof casing andwork undertaken after 1517 were bythe Spaniard, João de Castilho. In lateryears, when other styles from theRenaissance to Romantic Revivalismwere in fashion, further work was car-ried out to enhance and modernise thebuilding.The west side contains the enormoustwo-storey monks’ dormitory, whichtoday houses the National Museum ofArchaeology and the Naval Museum.The structure is essentially as it wasoriginally planned and as Boytac beganto build it before 1514, but the twoneo-Manueline towers and the cupolawhich complete this end of the build-ing were added in the mid-19th centu-ry.The church has two main doorways incretaceous limestone, and, though bothwere begun in 1517 and executed simul-taneously, they reveal different inspira-tions and understanding of architecturalsculpture. While, clearly, both demon-strate the principal characteristics ofManueline art, and the work of variousartists can be distinguished, there is aremarkably uniform inspiration and exe-cution that reveals the quality of theartists, of different nationalities, assem-bled by João de Castilho.

Monastery ofJerónimos, southernportal, Lisbon.

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The south door with its profusion ofimages and decorative motifs is regular-ly and accurately described as a jewel ofPortuguese 16th-century architecturalsculpture. For, even taking into consid-eration the influence of earlier portals,such as that of the Convent of Christ inTomar, the south door is on a scale with-out parallel in Portuguese art of the peri-od. It is like a retable celebrating OurLady of Bethlehem attended by the Apos-tles, Sybils and Evangelists and alsoincludes the emblematic figure of PrinceHenry the Navigator on the central pil-lar.The west door, canonically the mostimportant, was the first work carried outin Portugal by the French Master Nico-las Chanterène. This highly culturedmulti-faceted artist, arrived in Portugalat the king’s invitation, and at once intro-duced some of the most important fea-tures of Renaissance sculpture, such asthe portrait statues of D. Manuel I and hissecond wife, Queen D. Maria, presentedby their patron saints on corbels flankingthe central bay. Reliefs of the Apostlesand scenes from the Childhood of Christ,in the second register, are also of remark-able quality.This is the most perfect Portuguese hall-church, and one of the most remarkable inEurope, with very slender octagonal pil-lars covered with Renaissance decorationin low relief supporting the depressedribbed vaulting erected by João de Castil-ho, in 1522. Below the late Gothic upperchoir lie the tombs of the epic poetCamões and the navigator Vasco da

Gama, both of which are by Costa Mota,and both neo-Manueline and dating fromthe end of the 19th century.There are two exceptional, late Gothicpulpits in the transept, made by João deCastilho’s assistants. A door here leadsinto the sacristy, which has a very finevaulted ceiling, supported by a portly piercovered with early Renaissance grotesquecarvings.The chancel and the two arms of the tran-sept, containing the tombs of D. ManuelI, D. João III, their wives and a number ofroyal children, were re-modelled in the

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Church of theMonastery ofJerónimos, interior,Lisbon.

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João de Castilho and Diogo de Torralvasuccessively carried out work here, thelast-mentioned being responsible for theRenaissance plaitband on the upper floor.The maple stalls in the upper choir,made in 1550 by Diego de Zarza to adesign by Torralva, are perhaps thefinest example of Portuguese Manneristwoodwork. The choir loft also containsan exceptional Crucifixion by the Flem-ish sculptor Philippe de Vries and wasoffered to the monastery by Prince D.Luís. Leonardo Vaz was responsible for the lateGothic refectory, on the ground floor, offthe Royal Cloister. The Chapter House,also off the cloister, has a very lovely por-tal sculpted by Rodrigo de Pontezilla, andcontains the neo-Gothic tomb of the19th-century historian, Alexandre Her-culano.

I.1.b Museu da Marinha (NavalMuseum)

Praça do Império, next to the Mosteiro dosJerónimos. (Tel: 21 3620019). Photographypermitted.Admission charge. Opening hours: 10.00-18.00 in the summer months, and 10.00-17.00, October-May. Closed on Mondays andnational holidays.

The Naval Museum is housed in the westwing of the old dormitory of theMosteiro dos Jerónimos and also in moremodern buildings. It contains a series of

Mannerist style by the architect Jerome ofRouen and inaugurated in 1572. The greatretable contains a remarkable series ofMannerist paintings by Lourenço Salzedo.The tombs of the Kings D. Sebastião andD. Henrique and various princes are in thetransept chapels.The two-storey, late Gothic, Royal Clois-ter has foliate Manueline decoration alter-nating with Renaissance themes. Boytac,

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Museu de Marinha(Naval Museum), interior, Lisbon.

Monastery ofJerónimos, RoyalCloister, Lisbon.

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model ships dating from the Middle Agesto the present day, with special emphasison vessels from the time of the Discover-ies. Also on display are nautical instru-ments, weapons and cannon, items relat-ed to the sea, as well as memorials,marker stones and other original piecesbrought from overseas’ forts and cities.The collection also contains a number ofmaps and nautical charts, as well as animage of St Raphael that was on one of thevessels that made the first voyage to Indiaunder the command of Vasco da Gama.Royal brigs, barges and other craft are ondisplay in the new part of the museumalong with the aircraft Lusitânia, in whichGago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabralmade their first crossing of the SouthAtlantic.

I.1.c Tower of Belém

Belém, near the River Tagus. (Tel: 21 3620034).Designated a National Monument. Designated

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Tower of Belém,general view, Lisbon.

Tower of Belém, detailwith head of rhinoceros,Lisbon.

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used the original building when attendingceremonies to mark the arrival and depar-ture of the fleets.In 1848, considerable changes weremade to the building giving it a festiveair with merlons shaped like shields bear-ing the Cross of Christ, a loggia withelegant tracery and Arabic-inspired sen-try boxes, all exclusively the fruit of therather fanciful imagination of 19th-cen-tury restorers.

I.1.d Museu Nacional de ArteAntiga

Rua das Janelas Verdes. (Tel: 21 3964151).The Museum, the former residence of theCounts of Alvor, is classified as a Building ofPublic Interest. Cafeteria and restaurant.Admission charge. Open Wednesday-Sunday

a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.Photography permitted.Admission charge. Opening hours: 10.00-18.30, May-September, and 10.00-17.00,October-April. Closed on Mondays and Jan-uary 1st, Easter, May 1st and December25th. Visitors admitted up to 30 minutesbefore closing.

The Torre de Belém, built to defend theentrance to the Tagus with crossfire fromthe old fortress of Outão, is one of themost emblematic examples of Manuelinearchitecture. A short distance from theMonastery of Jerónimos, and even closerto the royal palace built on the orders ofD. Manuel I, it was designed and built byFrancisco de Arruda between 1515 and1519 and consists of a modern, polygonalbulwark with casemates and a keep-likesquare watchtower. The Court no doubt

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Nuno Gonçalves,polyptych of SãoVicente de Fora, mixedmedia on oak, 1470-1480, MuseuNacional de Arte Anti-ga, Lisbon.a) Monks’ Panel.b) Fishermen’s Panel.c) Prince’s Panel.d) Archbishop’s Panel.e) Knights’ Panel.f) Relic Panel. a) b) c)

10.00-18.00 and Tuesday 14.00-18.00.Closed on Monday and Tuesday mornings andnational holidays: January 1st, Easter, May1st and December 25th.

The National Museum of Ancient Artcontains one of the most important col-lections of Portuguese Manueline artfrom the time of the Discoveries, as wellas pieces that are the result of the meet-ing of European culture with that of thepeoples of Africa, the Americas and Asia.

St Vincent Panels

These panels were rediscovered at theend of the 19th century and originallybelonged to the altar of St Vincent inthe Sé (cathedral) de Lisboa. They are

one of the most extraordinary examplesof western painting. The panels havebecome an emblem of the PortugueseDiscoveries, although there has beenconsiderable conjecture as to theirauthorship, original location, chronol-ogy and the identity of the various per-sonages depicted. Available information seems to indicatethat Nuno Gonçalves, painter to D. Afon-so V, active between 1450 and 1492, wasresponsible for this superb royal commis-sion, possibly designed as a votive offer-ing in gratitude for the protection of thesaint, and for Portuguese victories inMorocco. The saint appears on the twocentral panels as the protective figure,around which the others are placed, high-lighting the two personages occupying theforeground and depicted with one knee

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d) e) f)

Jorge Afonso,“Adoration of theMagi”, retable fromMadre de Deus, oil onoak, c.1515, MuseuNacional de ArteAntiga, Lisbon.

and a sword. This may be a specific allu-sion to military power and war with thesanction of the Church, the hierarchy ofwhich is amply represented in this andother panels.The four smaller lateral panels are a contin-uation of the two at the centre in bothformal values and significance. TheKnights’ Panel, on the right, and that ofthe Fishermen, on the left, emphasise theinvolvement of Portuguese society inwhat possibly corresponds to the militarycampaigns in Africa; at Álcacer Seguer in1458, and Asilah and Tangier in 1471.The two end panels, a coherent part ofthe ensemble, give new meaning to thework. The Relic Panel and that of theMonks contain significant elements that,while not consensual, can be directlyrelated to the cult of St Vincent, namelythe Cross that appears in the first, and therelic and coffin that appear in the second.The powerful and innovative expressiveresources of Nuno Gonçalves stand out inthis masterly pictorial discourse, datingback to c.1470-1480.

Manueline Painting

Painting underwent a significant creativethrust from the mid-15th centuryonwards, although visible results, in analready diverse framework, were only tobe seen in the period corresponding tothe reign of D. Manuel I.Imported paintings, mainly Flemish, werecommissioned or acquired on the openmarket, and many fine examples are on

on the ground. The insertion of the fig-ures, in a squared perspective on a darkbackground, is not at all arbitrary.The Prince’s Panel, a Court scene withPrince Henry, can be interpreted as beingthe swearing of an oath to, or be seen asa veneration of, the Royal Family, as StVincent is showing one of the leading fig-ures, possibly D. Afonso V, the Gospel.The saint, against a wall of very express-ive faces that is prolonged into the otherpanels, is flanked by figures that corre-spond to portraits of Prince Henry, hissister D. Isabel, Duchess of Burgundy,Prince João, the future D. João II, as wellas Queen D. Isabel, facing the king.The Archbishop’s Panel has been inter-preted as a war-like exaltation. St Vincentholds a commander’s baton, the Book isclosed, while the main figures wear mili-tary uniform and are armed with lances

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display in this museum. They include St.Jerome by Albrecht Durer, The Virgin andChild by Hans Memling, the Retable of thePassion by Quentin Metsys, and the polyp-tych by Jan Provost from the Misericórdiain Funchal, Madeira should also be addedto the list. The arrival of Flemish artistsin Portugal and the subsequent training ofPortuguese painters, provoked decisivechanges in artistic circles. Many examples of work undertakenunder the patronage of D. Manuel I, theDowager Queen D. Leonor, and high-ranking members of the regular and sec-ular clergy are in this collection. They aredisplayed in isolation or in groups accord-ing to what is thought to have been theirretabular organisation, and are mainlyfrom the Lisbon workshops of Portugueseor Flemish artists active in Portugal. Thegreat retable from the Convento daMadre de Deus, of which seven panelsremain, is a good example of the best thatwas produced in the workshops in Lisbonduring the Manueline period and also ofthe effect that Flemish painting had inPortugal. The retable was the work ofthe Court Painter Jorge Afonso, activebetween 1504 and 1540. Christ Appearingto the Virgin, one of the finest examples inthis series, is dated 1515.The panels from the altarpiece of SantaAuta are from the same convent, andwere commissioned by the same patron,Queen D. Leonor, for the chapel thatcontained her relics. The Arrival of theRelics of Santa Auta depicts the scene withthe ceremonial reception at which thequeen is present, seated in a tribune on

the left, while, paradoxically, it is theseductive figure of the martyr Santa Autathat occupies the foreground.Many of the Portuguese painters of theManueline period represented in this col-lection trained in the studio of the influen-tial Jorge Afonso. These include Cristovãode Figueiredo, whose masterpiece Deposi-tion of Christ was painted for the Church ofSanta Cruz de Coimbra; Gregório Lopes,Court Painter to both D. Manuel I and D.João III, with his retables of São Bento andSantos-o-Novo, as well as Garcia Fernan-des, who produced the Presentation in the

Jorge Leal andGregório Lopes,“Adoration of theMagi”, from theretable of São Bento,oil on oak, c.1524-25,Museu Nacional deArte Antiga.

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served when D. Manuel died, is undoubt-edly one of most famous works of allManueline craftsmanship in precious met-als, and of Portuguese art in general. The Royal Testament, dated 1517, informsus of the name of the author, Gil Vicente.D. Manuel I organised the delivery toVicente’s workshop of the first gold trib-ute brought back from the Kingdom ofQuiloa by Vasco da Gama in 1503. Forthree years, the master craftsman and hisassistants worked on the monstrance,which, according to the inscription on thebase, was finished in 1506: O MUITOALTO. PRICIPE E. PODEROSO. SEN-HOR. REI. D. MANUEL I. A. MDOU.FAZER. DO. OURO. DAS. PARIAS.DE. QUILOA. AQUABOU. CCCCCVI(“The very high prince and powerful lord, KingD. Manuel I ordered it to be made from thegold of the tributes of Quiloa. Completed in1506.”).Iberian late Gothic in style, as can be seenby the vertical cylinder, the base is ellip-

Temple. The Flemish painter, FranciscoHenriques, painted panels for the retableof the Church of São Francisco in Évora.These painters were related to Jorge Afon-so, and they more or less constantly work-ed together. The similarity of style in a sig-nificant number of works may beaccounted for by this teamwork. Among other works on display are severalby the Flemish monk, Frei Carlos, whoseworkshop was at the Convento do Espin-heiro in Évora, namely the Annunciation,Resurrection and the Good Shepherd, as wellas works by another Nordic painter, theMaster of Lourinhã. These include the verylovely St John in Patmos from the Conventodas Berlengas and the Retable of the life of StJames from the Church of Palmela Castle.

Gold and Silver

The Monstrance of Belém, named afterthe monastery within which it was con-

Unknown painter,“Hell”, oil on oak,16th century, MuseuNacional de ArteAntiga, Lisbon.

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soidal with six lobules covered withmezzo-reliefs in gold, enamelled withfruit, flowers, snails and peacocks and sixarmillary spheres, the king’s personaldevice. On the base of the highly archi-tectural upper part, the 12 Apostles kneelround the crystal cylinder containing theHost. Minuscule figures depicting theAnnunciation, the Angel Gabriel and theVirgin appear on the two pilasters thatflank this group. On the upper level, in atriple baldachin, a dove represents theHoly Ghost, and above is the figure of theEternal Father.The monstrance, described in the chron-icles of King D. Manuel, associates thesymbols of his power, such as the armil-lary spheres and the legend round thebase with the religious sphere that marksthe upper part, to become one of themonarch’s most powerful politico-reli-gious messages.Other outstanding items from theManueline era include a silver hour-glasswith the Royal coat of arms and armillarysphere; a porta-pax dated 1515 from theConvento do Espinheiro in Évora; and theRenaissance style reliquary of SantoLenho, in the form of a template in gold,enamel and precious stones that belongedto Queen D. Leonor and was very prob-ably made by Mestre João.

Sculpture

The Manueline sculptures from the work-shops of Coimbra are particularly fine,primarily those of Diogo Pires the Elder,

Manueline hourglass,Museu Nacional deArte Antiga, Lisbon.

Workshop of GilVicente, Belém Mon-strance, gold andenamel in “rondebosse”, 1503–06),Museu Nacional deArte Antiga, Lisbon.

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important collection of works importedfrom Africa, India, China and Japan afterthe Portuguese Discoveries. Acquisitionsand donations have added to this section,now one of the most important in themuseum and indispensable to all thosewho wish to know more about the art ofAfrica and the Far East.Portuguese contacts with Sierra Leoneare represented by three works in ivory:two horns of ivory, one ornamented withthe Cross of the Order of Christ, and thebase of a salt-cellar, ornamented with fig-ures of Portuguese, one on horsebackserving as the lid.Indian pieces are the richest and mostnumerous and include religious objectsin silver and gold, coffers in filigree andtortoiseshell, all kinds of furniture, ivorypieces, and painted and embroideredvestments that illustrate the evolution ofart over four centuries. The Treasury of

for example, his São Tiago (St James), inpolychrome Ançã limestone, and a superbSão Miguel (St Michael) by Diogo Pires-the-Younger. Flemish works include SãoMateus (St Matthew) by Cornelius deHolanda. There are Della Robbia medal-lions, a series of tondi, the tabernaclefrontal from the Convento da Madre deDeus and the collection of Queen D.Leonor. Not to mention the statues of SãoLeonardo (St Leonard) and Nossa Senho-ra da Estrela, presented by Pope Leo X toD. Manuel I, which were formerly in theMosteiro dos Jerónimos.

Luso-African and Luso-OrientalArt

The contents of convents and monaster-ies suppressed in 1834, provided theNational Museum of Ancient Art with an

Attributed to KanoDomi, “Namban”Screen, leaves withtempera painting onrice paper covered withgold leaf, 1593-1600,Museu Nacional deArte Antiga, Lisbon.

the Convent of Vidigueira produced anoratory-reliquary, a missal stand and aporta-pax, all made of silver and donatedto the convent by Padre André Coutin-ho, who brought them back from Indiaat the end of the 16th century. Piecesfrom India also include furniture in exot-ic woods inlaid with ivory, cabinets,desks, tables and ivory statues, many ofthem of the Child Jesus – the GoodShepherd.From distant China there is a fine selec-tion of blue and white porcelain datingback to the Ming Dynasty, and important18th-century polychrome Export Ware,along with lacquerware and enamel itemsmade in Canton, especially for Europeancustomers.Japanese contacts with Portugal producedfine works of art, including a fascinatingpair of late 16th-century Namban screensthat depict Portuguese carracks leavingGoa and arriving in Japan. The Museumalso has a good collection of Namban lac-quer referring to the Nambam-jin, or the“Barbarians from the South” as the Por-tuguese were known, along with coffers,desks, trays and other pieces.

I.1.e Portal of the Church of Con-ceição Velha

Rua da Alfândega in the Pombaline Centre ofLisbon. (Tel: 21 8870202). Designated aNational Monument. Photography permitted.Opening hours: 8.00-18.00 on weekdays,8.00-13.00 on Saturdays and 10.00-13.00on Sundays. Mass is at 12.00 from Tuesday to

Friday inclusive. Normally closed duringAugust.

The Church of Conceição Velha wasgranted to the Knights of the Order ofChrist, who enlarged and enriched it tosuch an extent in the 16th century, that itbecame one of the most remarkable in Lis-bon. The earthquake of 1755 left littlestanding other than the fine portal builtshortly after 1518, so it is probable thatsome of the artists who had worked on theMosteiro dos Jerónimos had a hand in it,under the direction of João de Castilho.The portal is composed of a central archwith two finely sculpted archivolts defin-ing a tympanum and central pillar divid-ed by a sculpted pillar. Two typicallyManueline pillars with niches and bal-dachins depicting the Annunciation,flank the doorway. The fine sculpture ofNossa Senhora da Misericórdia sheltersunder her mantle, on one side repre-sentatives of the clergy, including a

Church of ConceiçãoVelha, portal, Lisbon.

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I.1.f Casa dos Bicos

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros. (Tel: 21 8810900 / 218884827). Designated a National Monument.Used for temporary exhibitions. Opening hours: 9.30-17.30 on weekdays.

This unusual building, a little further to theeast along the former Terreiro do Trigo, iscovered in diamond-shaped bosses (bicos)and is a remarkable example of architecturedating from the beginning of the 16th cen-tury. Similar buildings are to be found inother parts of Europe, namely Ferrara andSegovia. Built for Brás Afonso de Albu-querque, the son of Afonso de Albu-querque, Governor of India, it stood againstthe old Late-Mediaeval wall on the site ofsome former salt-pans. The upper floors ofthe building collapsed during the earth-quake of 1755, but were reconstructed in1983 according to old pictures, though thewindow frames have been made in metal.

I.1.g Castelo de São Jorge (St.George’s Castle)

Enter the castle by the São Jorge gateway inRua do Chão da Feira. Designated a Nation-al Monument. Currently under restoration. Opening hours: daily 10.00-18.00 in winterand 10.00-21.00 in summer.A multimedia show about the history of the city ofLisbon is held daily in Olissipónia, on the site ofthe old Royal Palace at 10.00 and 18.00, excepton January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.The city of Lisbon can be seen through aperiscope with a 360º-viewing angle from theTorre de Ulisses in the upper part of castle.

pope, cardinal and bishops, while on theother side are a king, queen and mem-bers of the nobility. This is clearly thework of a sculptor of the very highestquality, who remains unknown, but whocertainly proved capable of representingthe most essential elements of his themeby placing under the protection of theVirgin’s robe different social classes: onthe one hand, ecclesiastic representa-tives, for instance a pope, a cardinal andvarious bishops; on the other hand, theemperor, kings and other members ofthe aristocracy.

General view of theCasa dos Bicos, Lisbon.

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Opening hours: daily 10.00-16.30, excepton January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.(Tel: 21 8877244 / 21 8882831).

The Castle of São Jorge dates back tothe Islamic period and was the site ofthe alcáçova, a fortress, which occupiedabout four hectares. The defensiveMoorish walls of the city, some ofwhich still remain to the east by theChurch of Menino Deus, stretched outfrom this point. After the Reconquestof Lisbon in 1147, the Portuguese kings

took up residence in the castle andmade extensive alterations. The lastwere carried out in the time of D.Manuel I, though in the early years ofthe 16th century he went to live by theriver in the Paço da Ribeira. Somekings such as D. Sebastião, preferred tolive in the old castle for longer orshorter periods.

To get to Sintra by car, take the IC19 (25km.). Trains also run regularly from Rossio sta-tion in central Lisbon (45 mins.).

Aerial view of SãoJorge Castle, Lisbon.

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58

ITINERARY I

The Beach of Adventure

Second day

I.2 SINTRAI.2.a Palácio da VilaI.2.b Palácio da Pena

I.3 CHELEIROSI.3.a Church of Cheleiros

I.4 TORRES VEDRASI.4.a CastleI.4.b Church of São Pedro I.4.c Varatojo Convent

D. Manuel I

Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo

I.2 SINTRA

Sintra was an important Arab settlement,which fell to the forces of D. Afonso Hen-riques in 1147. The king garrisoned the11th-century Moorish castle on the hill-side, as well as the Palácio da Vila, whichwas a fortified construction dating fromthe same period.The pleasant countryside, mild climateand abundance of game made the town afavourite with the Portuguese kings in theearly Middle Ages. Over the centuries,the palace was added to and enlarged,making Sintra into a prosperous town bythe 15th century.In the Manueline era, the palace at Sin-

tra was complementary to the Paço daRibeira in Lisbon. The Court residedthere for long periods, and churches andconvents were either built or recon-structed in the vicinity, most notablyPena and Penha Longa, as well as theTown Hall and a leper hospital and manyresidences belonging to the upper aris-tocracy.In the 19th century, D. Fernando II, theRomantic king, introduced the Neo-Gothic and other Revivalist styles to thetown that enchanted travellers such as thepoet, Lord Byron, and cultured person-alities, such as Queen Amélia. The lastthree kings of Portugal brought new lifeto the Palácio da Vila, turning it into afavoured royal residence.

General view of Sintra.

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Sintra

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Palácio daVila, Sintra.

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Sintra

I.2.a Palácio da Vila

Largo Rainha D. Amélia, in the centre of Sin-tra. (Tel: 21 9106840/2). Designated aNational Monument.Admission charge. Opening hours: daily10.00-17.30. Last admission 30 minutesbefore closing. Closed on Wednesdays and Jan-uary 1st, Easter, May 1st, June 29th andDecember 25th.

The Palácio da Vila was a Muslim build-ing used by the Portuguese Crown imme-diately after the Reconquest of 1147. Inthe early years of the 15th century, D.João I added to the building and D.Manuel I made changes at least twice,once immediately on ascending thethrone, which gave the building the lookit retains to this day. D. João III made fur-ther improvements and others were intro-duced following the earthquake of 1755.

On the main façade facing the square,note the brattishing of the Mudejar battle-ments in the Córdoba style and the pair-ed balcony windows with exuberant nat-uralistic Manueline frames. Steps lead tothe main floor below a Gothic arcade.Note also the two large kitchen chim-neys and the complexity and lack ofcohesion in the various juxtaposed build-ings. Courtyards with ornamental poolsand fountains, gardens and cool corners,link each area. The Pátio dos Cisnes, thePátio da Carranca and the Jardim daPreta were constructed by D. Manuel I,who hankered after a Moorish palacelike those he had seen in Castile, espe-cially at Aragon, and Andalusia. Thechapel has a Mudejar tracery ceiling, andall over the palace are walls covered inHispano-Arabic tiles made in Sevillesuch as those in the Sala da Sereia andthe Sala dos Árabes, which also has an

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Sintra

elegant fountain. The Jardim da Pretahas a twisted stone pillar with foliatedecoration, surrounded by exotic vege-tation. The delightful decoration of the Sala dasPegas with magpies painted on the ceil-ing, panelling shaped by ridged tiles, andan Italian Renaissance marble fireplace,is noteworthy, as is the ceiling of the Salados Brasões, depicting the armorialbearings of the Manueline nobility.Other 16th-century constructions arethe atrium and the Sala das Galés, itsceiling decorated with Portuguese sail-ing vessels.

I.2.b. Palácio da Pena

Estrada da Pena, on top of the ridge, 2 km.south of Sintra. From the gate, it is possible towalk to the top or take a minibus. The no. 434bus leaves the train station every 40 minutes,

from 10.20 daily, going through the town cen-tre, passing the Moorish Castle and the Palá-cio da Pena and returning to the station. (Tel:21 9105340). Designated a National Monu-ment.Admission charge. Opening hours: 10.00-17.00 in winter and 10.00-18.30 in sum-mer. Closed on Monday and public holi-days: January 1st, Good Friday, Easter

Palácio da Vila,courtyard, Sintra.

Palácio da Pena, generalview of the Revivalistconstructions, Sintra.

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Sintra

Nicolas Chanterène executed the alabasteraltarpiece in the chapel, a masterpiece ofRenaissance sculpture, in a formal, ratherItalianate style. He began work on it atthe end of 1528 after acquiring thealabaster, the best in the Iberian Peninsu-la, in Aragon.Four registers in height, the Courtsculptor carved the Last Supper and theDescent into Limbo in very low relief, andhighlighted the importance of thetabernacle, a perfect example of Clas-sical architecture even to the columns,pediments and a small cupola. Thereliefs on the second and third registerare also quite remarkable for the pro-fusion of figures and the sensation ofmovement they create, especially in theAnnunciation and the Adoration of theThree Kings. In the centre, Christ Sup-ported by two Angels, shows the sculptorat the height of his powers, perfectlyrepresenting the human body. Theimage of the Virgin in sedia holding arestless Child is also of great artisticquality.

To reach Cheleiros follow the EN9.

Mafra and Torres Vedras Area

The fertile countryside to the north of theSerra de Sintra, next to the Atlantic coast,supplied Lisbon with meat and agricul-tural produce from the end of the MiddleAges onwards, hence the development oftowns such as Mafra, Torres Vedras and

Sunday, May 1st, June 29th and December25th.

The Palácio da Pena, with its complexstructure, bright colour and extrava-gant forms, was the invention of D. Fer-nando II and his faithful right-handman, Baron Eschwege, who drew upthe plans and directed the work in theRomantic spirit of the time. Manuelinestructures in the old convent were,however, conserved. These works,attributed to Boytac and largely com-pleted by 1511, include the church,choir, sacristy and cloister.

Nicolas Chanterène,Renaissance retablefrom the Chapel atPalácio da Pena,alabaster, 1529-32,Sintra.

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Ericeira. Various religious orders wereestablished in the region, the Franciscansin particular making a decisive contribu-tion, leasing their property but watchingover it with the zeal of good administra-tors. This land of plenty, abundant withbread, wine, meat and fish, stretched toAlenquer, Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos.

I.3 CHELEIROS

I.3.a Church of Cheleiros

Next to the Estrada Nacional. Designated asa Building of Public Interest. To visit theChurch, contact Senhora D. Guiomar Baleia,at Rua do Arco da Ponte, 16. (Tel: 219670052 Monday to Friday 9.00-12.30 or atthe weekend). Alternatively, contact SenhoraD. Hermenegilda Maria, at Rua do Chafariz.(Tel: 219 270281 at the same times). Opening hours: mass celebrated on Wednesdaysat 19.30 and on Sundays at 13.00.

The Church of Cheleiros is very typical ofthose found in medium-sized settlementsin Manueline times. The portal is welldesigned with good stonework, the longvessel of the church is covered with woodand the chancel has new Renaissancetouches, though the ribbed vaulting is stillGothic in style.

To continue to Torres Vedras take the EN9 inthe direction of Alcainça / Malveira. Contin-ue on the EN8 in the direction of Gradil /Turcifal to Torres Vedras.

Church of Cheleiros,main façade.

Church of Cheleiros,plan at choir level,Boletim da Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios eMonumentosNacionais, No. 48,Lisbon, 1947.

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Cheleiros

I.4 TORRES VEDRAS

I.4.a Castle

The Castle at Torres Vedras has largelyretained its Manueline structure. Builtbefore Portugal became a nation, it wasconquered by D. Afonso Henriques in1147 and rebuilt at the same king’sorders, being later altered and improvedby Kings D. Dinis and D. Fernando.Note the two rounded bastions or bul-warks that gird the gateway, bearing theblazon and device of D. Manuel I. Thesewere erected as part of the Manuelinebuilding programme that took place sometime around 1516. The castle, lookingover the town it defended, was also thegovernor’s residence.Much of the castle was laid to ruin by thedevastating earthquake of 1755. Its wallshave since been restored and now sur-round a wooded garden.

I.4.b Church of São Pedro

Largo de S. Pedro. (Tel: 261 322386). Desig-nated a National Monument.Opening hours: daily 8.30-12.00 and 15.00-17.00.

In the plains at the bottom of the hill werethe houses of the ordinary folk and thechurches, such as that of São Pedro,which still retains important Manueline

Castle of Torres Vedras.

Church of São Pedro,main portal, TorresVedras.

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Torres Vedras

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traces, for example in the exuberant nat-uralistic doorway. The interior has a lateGothic oratory containing the tomb ofJoão Lopes Perestrelo. The 16th-centurymain vessel of the church has Renaissancearches and other decorative motifs fromlater periods, namely Baroque paintedtiles and gilded Rococo woodwork.

l.4.c Varatojo Convent

Situated at Lugar do Varatojo. (Tel: 261 314120).Designated a National Monument.Opening hours: daily 9.00-12.00 and 15.00-18.30.

The Varatojo Convent, formerly on theoutskirts of Torres Vedras, has now been

almost absorbed into the town centre.Founded by D. Afonso V, the first stonewas laid in 1470 and the main construc-tion work was completed in four years.Little now remains of this period, or thatof the Manueline, other than the atrium,wich is covered with a Mudejar traceryceiling and a late Gothic portal, in thefinest Late Gothic style that was used atBatalha. The late Gothic cloister that dates fromthe beginning of the 16th century, was,undoubtedly, sponsored by the D. Ma-nuel I. One of the most curious elements is acorner window with a Gothic frame, call-ed the “D. Afonso V window”, though, intruth, it is already very characteristic ofthe Manueline period.

Convent of Varatojo,cloister and portal,Torres Vedras.

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Torres Vedras

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nand and Isabella and heir presumptiveto the thrones of León, Castile andAragon. D. Isabel died in childbirth inSaragossa and their son, Miguel da Paz,died shortly afterwards. D. Manuel I thenmarried his sister-in-law, D. Maria in1500 and produced 10 children, includ-ing the future D. João III. Widowed fora third time, in 1517, he married D.Leonor, sister of Charles V.D. Manuel I was one of the most remark-able Portuguese politicians of all time.He surrounded himself with cultured,able men who advised and helped him tomodernise the State by reforming itsadministrative, judicial and economicstructures. He handled his overseas vic-tories wisely and used them to underpinhis position in Europe and form effectivepartnerships with other crowned heads.He continued the work of his great-uncle, Prince Henry and of his cousin, D.João II, by fostering and supporting nau-tical and mercantile activities. During hisreign and under his personal direction,Portuguese mariners reached China andAmerica, to make Portugal the greatestmaritime power of the day and the estab-lishment of a thalassocracy, never beforeknown and never repeated in history.D. Manuel was a great patron and pro-tector of artists and men of letters, invit-ing many from other countries to hisCourt and leaving a remarkably rich her-itage to the nation.

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D. MANUEL I

D. Manuel I ascended the throne ofPortugal as the result of a series ofimplausible historical accidents. He wasthe ninth and youngest child of D. Fer-nando, Duke of Beja, brother of D.Afonso V, and D. Beatriz, the daughterof Prince D. João and, therefore, also agreat-granddaughter of D. João I.Prince D. Afonso, heir to D. João II, D.Manuel’s cousin, was killed in a ridingaccident shortly after his marriage. Theking’s natural son, Prince D. Jorge waskept out of the running by palaceintrigues, primarily, the machinationsof Queen D. Leonor, D. Manuel’s sis-ter. D. Manuel’s father died premature-ly, and his two elder brothers werekilled after plotting against the king,their cousin. When D. João II died atthe age of only 45, D. Manuel, by thenDuke of Beja, ascended the throne tolead the country through a period ofglory that it had never seen before, andwould never see again.Born in Alcochete, on May 31 1469, D.Manuel was proclaimed King in Alcácerdo Sal on October 27 1495, and died inLisbon on December 13 1521. When hisbrother Diogo was executed, D. Manuelwas made Duke of Beja, Lord of Viseu,Covilhã and Vila Viçosa, Constable of theRealm and Adminstrator General of theOrder of Christ.In 1497, he married the widow of PrinceD. Afonso, D. Isabel, daughter of Ferdi-

Pedro Dias

Garcia Fernandes, “Wedding of D. Manuel I”, oil on wood, 16th century, Museu de São Roque, Lisbon.

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Documents

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