Description of the attraction
The Cathedral (Se) was built on the site where religious buildings had been built for several centuries. In the beginning, there was a Roman temple turned into a church in the 6th century. A couple of centuries later, the Moors built a mosque here, which stood until the 12th century. After the siege and liberation of Lisbon from the Moors, the mosque was destroyed and the Cathedral was built in its place.
The building of the cathedral resembles a fortress. Two large, massive bell towers have loopholes for archery. The towers also served as observation posts during turbulent times. Their thick walls were completely devoid of windows in their lower parts, which made them invulnerable to enemy attacks. It was thanks to the powerful walls that the cathedral withstood the destructive force of the 1755 earthquake.
The main part of the medieval building has survived, requiring minor alterations and minimal restoration. A large rose window, a massive entrance portal with round archivolts, twin towers with a beautiful arcade of the upper tiers adorn the western facade of the building.
The interior of the cathedral is gloomy and austere. The inner gallery houses nine Gothic chapels that house the remains of the great Portuguese, including King Alfonso IV and his wife Beatrice. At the entrance to the cathedral, on the left, there is a small chapel where the future Franciscan monk, St. Anthony, was baptized.
The cathedral's treasury contains priestly vestments, silver items, sculptures, medieval manuscripts and sacred relics.
