Sé de Lisboa (also known as the main cathedral of Lisbon, Santa Maria, or simply as the Lisbon Cathedral) refers us to the era of the first Christian Reconquista after hundreds of years of Islamic Moorish rule. It is the most important and cult building of the city.
History of creation
After the liberation of the capital of Portugal in 1147, the Lisbon Cathedral, according to the original plan of Afonso I, King of Portugal, was to be built in Romanian style after the Christians took possession of the city. Since then, the structure of the temple has been significantly expanded and redone for many centuries. Inside the cathedral is dark, there are many niches in it. This creates a very gloomy and difficult mood.
The ancient cathedral of Lisbon was built by the first king of Portugal on the site of the old mosque for the first bishop of the city, the English crusader Gilbert of Hastings. The author of the Lisbon Cathedral project is the architect Master Roberto.
Work on its construction began in 1147, the year the city was liberated. Built on the site of the Moorish main mosque, it served as both a monument to the liberation of Lisbon and a fortress in case the Moors returned. Shortly after its founding, the remains of St. Vincent of Zaragoza, the patron saint of Lisbon, were returned and placed in the cathedral. All relics are still kept in the sacristy (or treasury) of the Lisbon Cathedral.
Description
With its appearance, with two belfries and a magnificent rose window, it resembles a medieval fortress; its interior decoration is more consistent with Romanesque architecture, not counting the Gothic choir and ambulance station (a semicircular roundabout gallery around the altar).
Since the XII century, the Cathedral of Sofia has been an integral part of the early history of Portugal, being a kind of witness to the baptism, marriage and death of representatives of the Portuguese elite of that time. The exterior of the great old church resembles more a fortification than a religious center, with massive walls and two impressive towers.
The only emphasis on the simple serf-type facade of the cathedral is a large rose window (socket) located above the main entrance; it, together with two belfries, is the most striking features of the building. Most of the cathedral’s architecture is Romanesque in style, although there are significant Gothic influences that can be seen in parts of the building added in the 13th century. The most notable examples of the latter are the monastery and the choir. The interior of the cathedral is rather gloomy and austere, although this is partly due to the great damage caused by the 1755 earthquake. An exception is the main chapel, which was restored after the earthquake in a more colorful neoclassical and rococo style with colored marble trim.
Features
At the entrance, on the left, there is a baptismal font, in which in 1195 St. Anthony, who was born nearby, was baptized - less than 200 meters from the cathedral, down the hill on the site of the present church of St. Anthony. In the first chapel on the left is a beautiful, detailed Nativity scene.
In the adjacent monastery of the XIV century, in the place where the gardens used to be, excavations were carried out during which the remains of the Romans and Visigoths were discovered, as well as part of the wall of the mosque that was at this place.
In the sacristy there is a treasury with many sacred objects, the most important of which is a casket with the remains of St. Vincent, the official patron of Lisbon.
Internal Gothic arches extend to the ceiling, and medieval statues and decorative ornaments fill niches. On the back side there is an ancient monastery, which was built directly above the destroyed mosque and became a symbol of the liberation of Portuguese Catholics from the North African Moors. The cathedral is a wonderful ancient complex steeped in history.
Another architectural feature of the cathedral is the rose window. This outlet was painstakingly reconstructed during the twentieth century from fragments of the original window, destroyed by a powerful earthquake of 1755. The earthquake also led to the destruction of the roof, under the wreckage of which were hundreds of believers who were at that time in the cathedral at the celebration of All Saints Day.
Visiting by tourists
One of the most famous buildings in Lisbon - the Lisbon Cathedral - is visited by many tourists. The cathedral itself (nave, transept and altar) and an abandoned monastery are open for them. The cathedral is open to visitors every day from 7:00 until the evening mass, held in Portuguese at 19:00. There are no entry fees at the main cathedral, but all visitors should be dressed appropriately. The monastery is open every day from 10:00 to 17:00, and the entrance fee is 2.50 euros for an adult and 1 euro for a child.
As a rule, visiting the Lisbon Cathedral takes about 15-20 minutes and another 20 minutes - visiting the monastery. It itself is located on the main road that goes from Baishi to Alfama, and the nearest metro station is Rossio, but the most picturesque form of public transport is the quaint yellow tram (route 28), which runs right in front of the cathedral.
Interesting Facts
The word Sé in the name (Sé de Lisboa) comes from the first letters of the words Sedes Episcopalis, which in translation means the place of a bishop. Interestingly, the first bishop of Lisbon had no roots or ties to the region, but was actually an English crusader named Gilbert.
This cathedral was the first religious building built by Christian crusaders in the 12th century.
It is believed to be the oldest building in Lisbon. Compared to the frivolous Manueline architecture of the Jeronimos Monastery, the Romanesque lines of the cathedral look rather harsh. Thanks to the battlements and lancet windows in the towers, it, like other similar buildings in Portugal at that time, looked more like a fortress rather than a church. In the photo, the Lisbon Cathedral appears as a majestic and austere building.
