5/5 BradJill 5 years ago on Google
Santa
Maria
de
Belem
(free
entry)
is
the
Church
at
Jerónimos
Monastery
that
you
can
enter
and
visit
separately
to
the
rest
of
the
monastery
grounds.
Built
during
much
of
the
16th
century,
this
is
a
beautiful
church,
featuring
fine
representation
of
Late
Gothic
Manueline
and
early
Renaissance
architecture.
Opening
Hours
are
10am-6pm
(Tues
-
Sat),
2-6pm
(Sun).
The
church
is
closed
on
Mondays.
Do
take
a
few
minutes
to
enjoy
the
South
Portal
entrance
before
entering
the
Church
of
Santa
Maria.
This
entranceway
is
highly
decorative
with
a
multitude
of
small
pinnacles
and
numerous
carved
figures.
Near
the
entrance
to
the
monastery
there
is
another
smaller
but
equally
delightful
entrance
into
the
church.
The
interior
of
the
church
features
a
tall
nave
with
ribbed
vaults,
supported
by
thin
octagonal
shaped
pillars.
This
is
a
Late
Gothic
Manueline
gem,
similar
to
the
architecture
you
will
see
throughout
the
cloister
within
the
monastery.
The
front
chapel
showcases
a
touch
of
renaissance.
Frescos
and
royal
tombs
can
be
seen
here,
while
the
tomb
of
Navigator,
Vasco
de
Gama
is
situated
in
the
back
of
the
nave.
Impressive
stained
glass
windows,
frescos
and
decorative
walls
adorn
the
remaining
sections
of
the
nave.
Note:
If
you
visit
the
monastery
grounds,
there
is
second
floor
viewing
area,
overlooking
the
inside
of
the
church.
This
is
a
great
vantage
point
for
viewing
the
interior
of
the
Church
of
Santa
Maria.
Overall,
a
visit
to
Jerónimos
Monastery
and
the
Church
of
Santa
Maria
is
highly
recommendable
during
visits
to
Lisbon.
This
is
one
of
the
clear
highlight
of
time
spent
in
Belem.
History
and
architecture
fans
in
particular
will
want
to
make
time
for
this
attraction.