Belém Tower

Tower of Belém

The Tower of Belém is a fortified structure located on the Tagus River in the district of the same name in Lisbon. It was built in 1515-1521 by Francisco di Arruda in honor of Vasco da Gama’s discovery of the sea route to India and served alternately as a small defensive fortress, powder depot, prison and customs house. During the whole period of its existence it was never used for its intended purpose, i.e. as a defensive fortification. The Belém Tower became a symbol of Portugal’s age of great geographical discoveries and an emblem of its capital. It was the starting point for many sailors leaving on long voyages and the last thing they saw before setting sail. Torre de Belem has been named one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and, together with the nearby Gironimos Monastery, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History and legend

There is a legend that one day King Manuel I of Portugal wanted to determine who was the stronger of two animals, a rhinoceros or an elephant. The contest, which was supposed to take place at the gates of Lisbon, did not take place because the elephant, frightened, ran away from the battlefield. Thus the rhinoceros was the winner, and it was decided to present it as a gift to the Pope of Rome, in gratitude for the Catholic Church’s blessing of the Portuguese sailors who were embarking on a dangerous voyage to distant uncharted lands.

The ship that was to deliver the gift to the Roman Pope sank. But sculptors built a monument in his honor, which had the form of a stone rhinoceros head. This sculpture served as a model for the work of Albrecht Dürer. And today, Dürer’s painting is housed in the legendary Belen Tower. This Tower was built by the architect Francisco di Arruda between 1515 and 1521. This architect also worked on the Portuguese fortifications in Morocco, which is why the architecture of the Belém Tower has a Moorish style. From 1580, when the Tower belonged to the Spanish Duke, it was used as a prison building for political prisoners. However, according to some sources, a very small room was allocated for the prisoners and the main area of the basement was used as a warehouse.

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During the Napoleonic Wars, the Tower was almost half destroyed, but was completely reconstructed in 1845.

Architecture

The Belén Tower has four floors and is 35 meters high. It is built in the Manueline style, characteristic of Renaissance Portugal. Along with this, oriental features of decoration are noticeable, such as the stone rope surrounding the walls, heraldic motifs and the famous rhinoceros, which was the first sculpted depiction of this animal in Europe.

The most decorative is the southern facade with a Venetian-style loggia decorated with fine carvings on limestone balustrades. On the inner terrace is a small 18th century convent with statues of Our Lady, a symbol of protection for sailors on voyages.

Once inside the tower, which consists of several rooms, you can climb to the top floor, where you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the wide estuary and the western part of Lisbon.

Useful information

The Belém Tower is open every day except Monday from 10.00 to 18.30 from May to September and until 17.00 from October to April.Cost: 4 € (free with Lisbon map).Located 5 min. walk from the stop of streetcar 15 “Largo Princesa”.