Graça Church and Convent

Church and Convent of Our Lady of Grace

At the top of Graça, the Convent of Our Lady of Grace is one of Lisbon's most imposing monastic complexes. Building began in 1271, on the site then called Almofala, under the patronage of King Afonso III, for the Hermit Friars of Saint Augustine, and the convent was the head house of the order's Portuguese province from 1291 until the dissolution of 1834. The church was rebuilt with a nave and two aisles between 1556 and 1565 under Friar Luís de Montoya, and in 1566 the remains of Afonso de Albuquerque were laid in its chancel. The procession of the Senhor dos Passos da Graça has set out from here since 1586. Destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, the church was rebuilt from 1765 under Manuel Caetano de Sousa in late Baroque style; the bell tower, by Manuel da Costa Negreiros, dates from 1738. Inside, the highlights are the gilded wooden altars, sixteenth- to eighteenth-century azulejos and the Baroque sacristy with a ceiling by Pedro Alexandrino. The convent retains its large Serlian-style cloister, chapter house and great hall. The church has a prayer area open to all free of charge; the rooftop viewpoint, upper choir, upper cloisters and exhibition area require a ticket.

Located at: Igreja da Graça
Address: Largo da Graça, 1170-165 Lisboa
Opening hours: daily: April to October 10:00-19:00 (last entry 18:30); November to March 9:30-18:30 (closed on 25 Dec and 1 Jan)
Phone: +351 218 875 007
Coordinates: 38.7163861, -9.1309647
Buses: 10B, 734, 797, 13B, 712
Tram: 28E, 12E
Metro: Martim Moniz (Green), Rossio (Green)
Train: Azambuja Line, Santa Apolónia Station, Sintra Line, Rossio Station
Opened: 1271 (755 years)