Portugal

Like most European capitals, Lisbon has plenty of monuments attesting to the prouder aspects of their history. In addition to the king statues below, there are others on the St. George Castle page.

The Monument of the Discoverers commemorates Portugal’s “Age of Discovey" in the 15th-16th centuries when Portugeses sailors went all over the world. The resulting trade made Portugal the world’s richest county (for a time).

The Tower of Belem was built in the 16th-century as a fortification that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance, and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style (which is also on display at the St Jerome Monastery).

The Christ the King Sanctuary was built in 1958, patterned after the similar statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro. It is on the other side of the Tagus River from Lisbon and expresses gratitude for Portugal being spared the direct destructive effects of World War II.

We didn’t spend a lot of time in Lisbon’s churches…there are so many. A few are shown here, including the Gothic 11th-century Lisbon Cathedral (I didn’t get a decent exterior picture so I borrowed one from the internet). We also went to the St. Jerome Monastery and its beautiful church.