The interior is filled with baroque paintings and sculptures, and there’s a magnificent marble-clad sacristy and an intricate altarpiece by sculptor Joaquim Machado de Castro. The greatest treasure, however, are the around 100,000 blue-and-white tiles (azulejos) painted with historical scenes and illustrations of the fables published in the 1600s by French writer Jean de La Fontaine, full of crafty foxes, rapacious magpies, and greedy bears. The tiles form one of the best examples of this particularly Portuguese artform. Guided tours can be booked via the “Património” section of the website.
Largo de São Vicente. www.patriarcado-lisboa.pt. 21/888-56-52. 5€ adults; 2.50€ youngsters 12–21 and over 65s; free for under 12s. Tues–Sun 10am–5pm; Sun 9am–12:30pm and 3–5pm. Tram: 28. Bus: 712 or 728.
Igreja e Museu de Santo António CHURCH The rest of the Christian world may know him as St. Anthony of Padua, after the Italian city where he died; Lisboetas venerate the saintly friar as one of their own. His festival day on June 13 is the city’s biggest party. Anthony is believed to have been born in 1195 where this pretty baroque church now stands next to Lisbon Cathedral (p. 102). The museum recounts the story of his life and holds relics of the saint. The saint’s reputed talents as a matchmaker mean he is especially revered by young couples, and mass weddings are held in the cathedral on the eve of his saint’s day.
Largo de Santo António da Sé. www.museudelisboa.pt. 21/581-85-30. Museum admission 3€; 1.50€ over 65s; free for students, under 12s and all Sun before 2pm. Church: Mon–Fri 8am–7pm, Sun–Sat 8am–8pm. Museum Tues–Sun 10am–5:30pm. Tram: 12, 28; Bus: 714, 732, 736, 737, 760.
Museu do Aljube Resistência e Liberdade MUSEUM This grim building was a prison dating back to the Middle Ages—its name comes from the Arabic for pit. From 1928 to 1965, the Salazar dictatorship detained and tortured political prisoners here. It’s now a moving museum of “Resistance and Freedom” showing the history of the dictatorship, the suffering of prisoners held, and the underground resistance movement that eventually triumphed in the democratic revolution of 1974.
Rua de Augusto Rosa, 42. www.museudoaljube.pt. 21-581-8535. Admission 3€; 2.60€ over 65s; 1.50€ youngsters 13–25; free under 12s. Tues–Sun 10am–6pm. Tram 12, 28; Bus 737.
Museu do Fado MUSEUM The museum dedicated to Lisbon’s favorite musical genre (p. 34) is a short walk from Rua dos Remédios, one of Alfama’s most typical streets, lined with cute stores and some well-known fado bars. The museum is situated in a former water-pumping station close to the river. With visual displays and a great soundtrack, it tells how the music evolved from the melody of dockside mean streets to a UNESCO World Heritage treasure. Galleries feature interactive presentations, old guitars, theater bills and artworks, including national treasure José Malhoa’s 1910 portrait of bohemian tavern life O Fado . Check the website for the program of live performances organized in the museum and venues around the city. There’s a well-stocked shop with CDs and a good cafe/restaurant.
Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, 1. www.museudofado.pt. 21/882-3470. Admission 5€; 2.50€ youngsters from 12 to 25; 4.30€ over 65s; free for under 12s. Tues–Sun 10am–5:30pm. Tram: 28; Bus: 728, 735, 759, 794.
The best Views
Lisbon’s hilly waterside topography offers many opportunities for fabulous panoramas. Each miradouro (belvedere) provides a different angle over the city and the Tagus; many have alfresco cafes. Here are five of our favorites:
Miradouro das Portas do Sol Alfama is spread before you in one of the most photogenic views of Lisbon, featuring russet rooftops, church towers and domes, and conveniently placed palm trees against the river’s blue backdrop. Adding to the charm, little yellow street cars rattle by every few minutes. It’s wonderful at sunrise, but at all times watch out for pickpockets. Tram: 12, 28.
Miradouro de Santa Catarina This one looks directly down to the river, and sunsets are spectacular. There are lawns and a couple of cafes. It’s a popular spot for young people, who gather in the evenings to drink beer and listen to street musicians. It’s looked over by the brooding statue of Adamastor, a mythical giant who haunts the Cape of Good Hope in the epic poem Os Lusíadas. Nearby is the picturesque Bica neighborhood with its famed funicular. Largo Santa Luzia. Tram 28; Bus 734.
Miradouro de Santa Luzia Wander down through the charming lanes of the Castelo neighborhood to discover this viewpoint suspended over the river. It’s shaded by purple bougainvillea and surrounded by azulejos. Below are the red rooftops of Alfama. The panoramic viewpoint is backed by a pretty little church belonging to the knightly Order of Malta. Hidden behind it is a staircase leading to a little terrace bar with its own unique vista. Largo Santa Luzia. Tram 28; Bus 734.
Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara Just beside the Bairro Alto, this broad belvedere has a leafy garden and views across to Castelo de São Jorge, Graça, and the hill of Santana. Across the road is a convent interior beautifully decorated with azulejos. Rua São Pedro de Alcântara. Tram 24; Bus 758.
Miradouro de Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen Atop the hill of Graça, the pine-shaded spot lays the city at your feet, from the gardens of Castelo São Jorge to the distant river and a tangle of narrow lanes in medieval Mouraria district just below. Commonly known as Miradouro da Graça after the handsome baroque church behind, it was named after poet Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen (1919–2004). Try a sundowner from the little kiosk cafe. Calçada da Graça. Tram 28; Bus 734.
Panteão Nacional CHURCH The National Pantheon is the final resting place of many of Portugal’s great and good. Aside from the presidents and poets buried here, you can visit the tombs of fado legend Amália Rodrigues (1920–1999), soccer great Eusébio (1942–2014) and Gen. Humberto Delgado, an opposition hero murdered by the dictatorship’s secret police in 1966. That was the year this white-domed church—also known as Igreja de Santa Engrácia—was finished, almost 300 years after work began. Portuguese still refer to never-ending tasks as obras (works) de Santa Engrácia. Richly decorated in multicolored marble, the interior also has monuments to (but not the remains of) Discoveries-era heroes, including Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama. There are spectacular views from the roof. If you come on a Tuesday or Saturday, combine a visit here with shopping at the Feira da Ladra (p. 127) flea market
