Belem Lisbon, Portugal
The white worn out façade of Belem Tower is attractive; one can spot it from Discoveries Monument. The walk along the bank of River Tagus towards Belem Tower under the blue skies that day was pleasant.
History of Belem Tower
Most historical monuments in Belem are from 16th century. Construction of Belem Tower was completed in 1521. Initially it functioned as a fortress to defend the mouth of the River Tagus, to guard the entrance to Lisbon’s harbor. The Belem Tower was the starting point for many of the voyages of discovery. It was located in a small island in the Tagus River.
The tower was built during the reign of King Manuel I. in Manueline architectural style (which combines Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance elements). It had the typical carved stone maritime motifs like coiled and twisted rope, armillary spheres. For the sailors it was the last sight of their homeland, one can imagine how dear this must be to them!
Heritage Site
Belem Tower was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It is also included in the registry of the Seven Wonders of Portugal in 2007.
The walkway to the tower was well populated by the tourists and the entrance very crowded. The previous day’s pickpocket incident was still fresh in mind. We decided to skip entering the tower. A rope carved in stone goes all around the tower. Tour of interiors wouldn’t take long compared to time spent in that long queue.
Discoveries Monument is an unmissable sight! The white sculpted iconic monument is eye catching because of its composition. The whole structure is drama and action packed. A ship ready to depart!
Explorers of Discoveries Monument Lisbon
On board are several prominent adventurers and explorers of 14th and 15th century. The prominent figures are listed in several travel guides but difficult to distinguish who is who. They have been marked name wise in wiki. The names are: King Manuel I carrying an armillary sphere, poet Camões holding verses from The Lusiads, Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cabral, and several other notable Portuguese explorers, crusaders, monks, cartographers, and cosmographers, following Prince Henry the Navigator at the prow holding a small vessel. The only female is queen Felipa of Lancaster, mother of Henry the navigator, the brain of the discoveries.
Each figure seemed to move forward, as if keen to set off and participate in next exploring events. There are 16 figures along the ramp on both sides, 33 in total. Henry the Navigator leading the team.
Time and Dimension
This iconic Discoveries Monument was built of wood initially and was a display piece in Portuguese World Fair of June 1940. But due to several political reasons it was brought down in 1943. The idea again got a second lease of life in 1958 when the Câmara Municipal of Lisbon, promoted the intent to construct a permanent Monument to the Discoveries. By 1960 the construction of Discoveries Monument was completed. It was made of cement and rose-tinted stone. It stands at a height of 52m (171ft.). The statues sculpted from limestone. The architects involved in the project are mentioned in wiki. In 1985 public got access to the top of the structure.
The Three Views
The 3 views that can interest the tourists are: one the exteriors. It is grand and one tends to stand rooted in his/her place just marveling the sculpted figures. So ‘life’ like! This view is free. If you are done photographing and admiring and have ample time in hand you can visit the museum inside the monument. There is a small fees for this. This museum houses details of history of Lisbon. Finally you can go to the top of this monument for mesmerizing views of River Tagus!
Tickets and Timings
The viewing platform and museum open -Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00-19:00 (summer season) 10:00-18:00 (low season).
Closed on Monday.
The entrance fee is €3.00/€2.00/€8.00 (adult/child/family)
Time to tour: visit lasts between 30-45 minutes.
Love to see these historical places.. Your postings made me feel that I am already there in that place Indrani.. 🙂
Beautiful pictures ,the architecture is good.
This just looks stunning!! Hope to tour the entire EU some time!! *sigh*
Just the sort of place I find interesting, thoroughly enjoyed my virtual tour and catch up here. Thanks.
Lovely shots! I hope to visit Belem and Sintra next time I’m in Lisbon…
Looks so beautiful …you have written about the architecture too. The window design looks similar to Rajasthani Jharokas..that’s what I felt 🙂
Informative historical post !!
That tower looks like one of a kind. Interesting features. Those windows/ balconies look great on it.
Beautiful and very interesting !
A beautiful tower in a lovely cloudless sky!
Enjoy the weekend!
A majestic fort
Sounds like a significant monument and gateway! Interesting architecture and apart the rope design, I love that little balcony
Excellent shots
The mind of a wanderer finds solace in the lap of unknown.
good
A beautiful monument and a nice click. 🙂
Hi Indrani Di, nice clicks of the tower and interesting history!!
http://www.myunfinishedlife.com
nicely shot.. Indrani you know what, I kept on feeling that its a Gurudwara.. dont know why.. but though in mind 🙂
wow! The tower looks majestic 🙂
Wow. For a tower built in the 16th century, its in pretty good condition.
Nice wonder of Portugal.
Nice clicks!
Loved the last pic the best!!
Superb architecture! Looks quite promising!
What camera do you use Indrani? The pictures have amazing clarity..
Hi Richa the Camera Model is Canon EOS 7D Mark II.
Yes a good camera. 🙂
Very nice views of the tower.
Many greetings!
Fantastic fotos. 🙂
We were attacked by pickpockets on the underground in Rome, but a British man came to our rescue and got the purse back. I was so scared. This is a beautiful historical tower, and it is wonderful that is has been names a world heritage site. Thank you for sharing your photos.
to dream upon
Warm ALOHA,
ComfortSpiral
quite beautiful and impressive!
It always amazes me how buildings like this have stood the test of time for so long. It looks fantastic here and you captured some great details of it. I enjoyed your photos very much.
Wonderful, Great pics
Have a nice weekend ahead.
It is so beautiful and your capture is superb as always!! This is one of my best memories of my visit to Lisbon some years ago!! Thanks for the memories!!!
What a lovely tower
Wonderful history post.
Hello, pretty views of the Tower and the river. It is sad about the pickpocketing. Great post and photos.
Happy Thursday, enjoy your weekend!