Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Praça do Império,
1400-206 LISBOA

Opening hours:

Tuesday to Sunday:
October - April: 10 am - 5.30 pm
May - September: 10 am - 6.30 pm

Mondays, 1 Jan, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 Dec - closed

Last admission - 30 minutes before closing

Tel: (351) 213620034
Fax: (351) 213639145
E-mail: mosteirojeronimos@mosteirojeronimos.pt


The Jerónimos Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) is one of the most important buildings in Lisbon - it symbolizes the golden age of Portuguese Maritime Discoveries. It is placed at the entrance of the city, close to the Tagus River banks.

The Monastery was erected on the order of King Manuel I, in a place of former hermitage dedicated to Saint Mary of Belém, founded there by Prince Henry the Navigator. It is said, that in this church Vasco da Gama and his crew were praying the night before their famous journey to India. The new monastery was built to commemorate this successful voyage, when the maritime way to India was finally discovered. The works began in 1501. To occupy the Monastery King Manuel I chose the monks of the Order of Saint Jerome (Hieronymites). Their main duties were to pray for the King's soul and offer the spiritual guidance to sailors and navigators, who departed from the Restelo beach to discover new worlds. In 1907 the Jerónimos Monastery was designated as a National Monument, and in 1984 it became the part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

The construction was made in a Manueline style. This is the most exclusive Portuguese architectural style that contains elements from the late Gothic and Renaissance, related to royal, Christian and naturalist symbols, such as: crosses, ships, caravels, etc. The interior of the Monastery includes large number of tombs of important Portuguese men. Among others, there are tombs of: Vasco da Gama, King Manuel, King Sebastiao, the poet Luis de Camoes and the writer Alexandre Herculano.