The Jerónimos Monastery is located in the district of Belém, west of the center of Lisbon. It is one the most important tourist attraction in Lisbon, inside which lies the tomb of Vasco de Gama.
The Monastery, also called Hieronymites Monastery, is along with the Tower of Belém, one of the most visited sites in Lisbon. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. The religious building was designed by the Portuguese architect Diogo de Boitaca to commemorate the return of Vasco da Gama from India. The construction began on 6 January 1501 and wasn’t completed until the seventeenth century. The building is predominantly Manueline style (Portuguese late Gothic). Curiously, the monastery was built on the site of the former Ermida do Restelo, the chapel where Vasco da Gama and the rest of the sailors prayed before setting sail down the African coast to India.
In the surroundings there are many famous attractions to not miss such as the Tower of Belém, the Monument of Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) the Maritime Museum, the National Coach Museum and the Cultural Center of Belém.
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Opening hours:
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- October to May: 10.00am to 5.30 pm (last admission at 5.00 pm)
- May to September: From 10.00am to 6.30 pm (last admission at 6.00 pm)
- Closed: Mondays and 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December
