Lisbon Cathedral

Lisbon Cathedral is the oldest church in the city. Igreja de Santa Maria Maior is its official name, according to the guides of Lisbon. But all the locals call it simply “Se” from the Latin Sedes Episcopalis.

This place has a special spiritual energy, as it has a long history. Excavations prove that in the first centuries of our era, an ancient Roman temple stood on the site of the cathedral. Further, in the fourth century, the Visigoth tribes remade it into a Christian temple. In the 8th-12th centuries, the temple turned into a mosque, as these lands were captured by the Moorish conquerors. But in 1147 the mosque was again converted into a church as a result of the Second Crusade. And its reconstruction into the Cathedral began. The architect Master Roberto was in charge of its renovation. It combined Romantic and Gothic styles with Baroque elements.

The relics of St. Vincent from Zaragoza were brought to the cathedral, and they called him the patron saint of Portugal. Hundreds of pilgrims began to flock to the temple to touch the shrine. In the 13th-14th centuries, a monastery in the Gothic style became the Cathedral. A gallery with nine chapels appeared, where you can still find the remains of the great Portuguese.

The Lisbon Cathedral suffered from earthquakes several times, but the most powerful was the earthquake of 1755, which caused enormous damage. In the following years, the temple gained Neoclassical and Rococo elements and decorations.

It is believed that Saint Antonio, who is the patron saint of Lisbon, was baptized here. Every year on the day of St. Antonio, the municipality selects twelve couples and crowns grace their heads in the Cathedral at the expense of the mayor’s office.

You can get to the Lisbon Cathedral:

• by bus №737
• by tram №12E, 28E
• by metro to the station Terreiro do Paço

Tips:

• No admission fee to the main cathedral
• You should be dressed appropriately
• The visit to the cloisters costs €2.50 (child – €1.00)