The 10 most beautiful Churches in Lisbon

Lisbon came to be considered a "second Rome", with a church or convent on every corner. Many of these monuments disappeared in the earthquake of 1755,others were rebuilt,so most of the churches of the city date from the late eighteenth century.The interiors reflect the styles and taste of the time,a very Portuguese taste, in which the gilded carving mixes with blue and white tile panels.

The most beautiful examples are often found where least expected, hidden in convents or in the smaller churches

CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DE BELÉM

 EMPIRE SQUARE (BETHLEHEM)

The scupping of the jerónimos monastery church is considered one of the most impressive works of Gothic architecture in all of Europe. Classified as a World Heritage Site, the entire monument is the most remarkable feat of Manueline architecture, with an ornamentation that combines religious and royal symbols, and naturalistic elements. This is where the tombs of Camões and Vasco da Gama are located.

CHURCH OF THE CONVENT OF MOTHER OF GOD

 RUA DA MADRE DE DEUS, 4 (XABREGAS)

The Convent of madre de Deus is today the National Tile Museum. The church is one of the most extraordinary monuments in the country, mixing baroque tile, gilded carving and canvas painting. The tiles are written by Dutch and Portuguese artists, and the 20 canvases on the ceiling, which illustrate the life of the Virgin, are by the painter Marcos da Cruz, created between 1660 and 1670.

CHURCH OF SANTA CATARINA

 CALÇADA DO COMBRO (BAIRRO ALTO)

Interestingly, this church is little known and little visited, despite being at the gates of Bairro Alto and being one of the most monumental in the city. The sumptuous interior is one of lisbon's most impressive artistic works, from the Rococo stucco on the ceiling to the gilded carving completed in 1727.
Two of the most important painters of the eighteenth century in Portugal, Vieira Lusitano and André Gonçalves, were the authors of the paintings framed by the carving.

CHURCH OF ST. ROQUE

 LARGO TRINDADE COELHO (BAIRRO ALTO)

Known for having the chapel that many say is "the most valuable in the world", this church has the simplest facades but one of the most magnificent interiors in Lisbon. This chapel is that of St. John the Baptist, commissioned in Rome in 1742, to be brought piece by piece to Lisbon. It is a treasure considered a true work of total art, for the richness of the materials (ivory, agate, lapis lazuli and gold) and for the good artistic conduct of the works. The other chapels are rich in gilded carvings, marble, tiles and canvases.

STAR BASILICA

 STAR SQUARE (STAR)

It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Lisbon, inside and out. It was one of the last great Baroque churches, with a marble-covered interior. It is known for its huge nativity scene of the sculptor Machado de Castro, and for the tomb of Dona Maria I.

CHURCH OF THE CONVENT OF CARDAES

 STREET OF THE CENTURY, 123 (ROYAL PRINCE)

The church of the Convent of the Cardaes is one of the most notable examples of the Portuguese Baroque, mixing the gilded carving and the blue-garden. A survivor of the 1755 earthquake, the church features a set of eleven figurative panels of blue and white tiles, by dutchman Jan van Oort, dating from 1692. The gilded carving frames eight canvases by various artists of the time.

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH

 LARGO DE SÃO MIGUEL (ALFAMA)

Although it is in the heart of Alfama, where many tourists pass, this church opens only twice a week, for Mass (on Thursday and Saturday, in the late afternoon). It has one of the most beautiful and rich interiors in gilded carving, which covers the walls and the altar, and that frames paintings attributed to Bento Coelho da Silveira, royal painter of D. Pedro II and one of the most respected Portuguese artists of the seventeenth century.

BOY GOD CHURCH

 SIDEWALK OF THE BOY GOD (ALFAMA)

It had an open door on the day it was three centuries old in July 2011, but this church is always closed. However, just touch the bell next door, and you will have access to the beautiful interior. Built by D. João V in 1711, it is almost hidden near the castle. It stands out for the use of marble and other noble materials, and served as a model for many other Baroque constructions throughout the country.

CHURCH OF INCARNATION

 LARGO DO CHIADO (CHIADO)

Of the churches of Chiado, all built or rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755, this is the most beautiful. It is the reconstruction of the first inaugurated in 1708, and was only completed in 1873. The interior, covered with marbles, features rocaille decorative elements, and a sculpture of Our Lady of the Incarnation by sculptor Machado de Castro. The beautiful ceilings, of canvases nailed to wood, were painted between 1784 and 1824.

CHURCH OF ANGELS

 AVENIDA ALMIRANTE REIS (ANGELS)

It is a small church very little known, but preserves one of the most valuable gilded carved interiors. It is an interior of the seventeenth century, but the building is only a century old, as it is the reconstruction of a church that had to be demolished for the opening of Avenida Almirante Reis. The gilded carving has been carefully replaced, filling much of the space

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