Monastery of São Vicente de Fora

Why go

The monastery's site, run by the Patriarchate of Lisbon, says King Afonso Henriques founded São Vicente de Fora in 1147, outside the city walls, which is where 'de Fora' in its name comes from. It says that in 1582 Philip I decided to rebuild it, with Filippo Terzi, Juan Herrera and Baltazar Álvares among the architects, that Augustinian canons lived there until the religious orders were abolished in 1834, and that the building now houses the diocesan curia as well as a museum space. The site's points of interest include the 12th-century cistern, the gatehouse, two cloisters lined with Baroque tile panels, the church, the sacristy, the royal pantheon of the Braganza dynasty, the pantheon of the patriarchs and a terrace with a view over the city. Its rules page says children and young people up to 15 must be accompanied by an adult throughout and that large objects must be left at reception, and its ticket page sells a guided visit as a supplement to the ticket.