Monastery of São Vicente de Fora

Monastery of São Vicente de Fora – Patriarchate of Lisbon

The Monastery of São Vicente de Fora has its origins in a vow made by Afonso Henriques during the siege of Lisbon in 1147: once the city was taken, he had a monastery built in honour of Saint Vincent, outside (fora) the city walls, which explains its name. It was occupied by the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine until 1834, and it was here that Saint Anthony spent his first years as a monk. The present building is the result of the rebuilding ordered by Philip I in 1582, designed by Filippo Terzi, Juan Herrera and Baltazar Álvares, and regarded as the first great Mannerist building in Portugal; its rich decoration of inlaid marble and tile panels dates from the reigns of Pedro II and João V. After the dissolution of the religious orders it passed to the State and housed the Gil Vicente secondary school; today it is the seat of the Curia of the Patriarchate of Lisbon, which keeps a museum space there. The visit takes in the porter's lodge, with a ceiling painting by Vicente Bacchareli, the cloisters lined with Baroque tiles showing secular scenes, the sacristy of coloured marble, the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, the Pantheon of the Patriarchs, built in 1949 under the supervision of Raul Lino, and the terrace, with a panoramic view over the Tagus and the city.

Located at: Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora
Address: Largo de São Vicente, 1100-472 Lisboa
Opening hours: daily 10:00-19:00 from June to October and 10:00-18:00 from November to May (last admission one hour before closing; closed on 1 Jan, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 Dec)
Phone: +351 218 810 559
Coordinates: 38.7148171, -9.1278805
Buses: 734, 797, 10B, 13B, 712
Tram: 12E, 28E
Metro: Santa Apolónia (Blue), Martim Moniz (Green)
Train: Azambuja Line, Santa Apolónia Station
Opened: 1147 (879 years)