BELÉM TOWER

Description

Essentials about the Belém Tower in brief

Located at the mouth of the Tagus River into the Atlantic Ocean, the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) is one of Lisbon’s most famous landmarks. Together with the nearby Jerónimos Monastery, the small historic lighthouse and fortified tower is one of the few outstanding buildings of the Manueline style that survived the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. Today, the 35-meter-high tower is no longer used for defensive purposes but as a museum and viewing platform. Since 1983, the Belém Tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its architectural and historical significance.

The history of the Belém Tower

The tower was commissioned by the Portuguese King Manuel I in 1515. It was completed six years later, in the year of Manuel’s death. Since then, the Belém Tower has symbolized the golden age of the Portuguese maritime and commercial empire. It once stood as a lighthouse on a rock in the mouth of the Tagus River and greeted arriving explorers and merchant ships. Due to fillings on the northern bank of the Tagus in the 19th century, the Belém Tower is now only a few meters from land. Originally, there was a second tower on the south side of the river so that enemy ships could be caught in the crossfire as they advanced on Lisbon. However, this twin tower was destroyed by the Great Earthquake of 1755.

The architecture of the Belém Tower

The Belém Tower consists of a rectangular tower reminiscent of a medieval castle and a polygonal bulwark with embrasures facing the sea. To protect the Tagus against enemy invaders, the bulwark could even carry heavy artillery. In the corners of the bulwark there are round domes. As a symbol of protection for sailors, a statue of Our Lady of Safe Return faces the sea.

On the northwest side of the tower there is also a unique sculpture of a rhinoceros head, which is the first plastic representation of this animal in Europe. It is an image of the armored rhinoceros, which Afonso de Albuquerque brought back from his voyage to India in 1515 and later also provided Albrecht Dürer with the model for his world-famous woodcut “Rhinoceros”. The bastion gets its own character from the rich decorations with cord reliefs, shield-shaped battlements, openwork balconies and lookouts.

The interior of the Belém Tower

The bulwark, which forms the base of the structure, was used to store weapons and food until the 19th century. The tower itself has four floors. On the second floor is the Governor’s Room, where highly decorated soldiers once resided. On the second floor is the richly decorated King’s Hall, which includes the loggia with ornate arches and holes in the floor through which the garrison could fire. On the third floor is the elaborately decorated Audience Chamber and on the fourth floor is a small chapel. The highlight of the visit to the Belém Tower is certainly the observation deck on the roof of the tower. From a height of 35 meters, you can enjoy a great view of Belém, the mouth of the Tagus River and Lisbon in the distance.