Description of the attraction
Not far from the Cathedral of Lisbon is the Church of Santo Antonio. The church is named after Saint Anthony of Lisbon. He is also called Saint Anthony of Padua.
Saint Anthony was born in Lisbon in 1195. According to legend, the Church of Santo Antonio was built on the site of the home of Saint Anthony. The future saint, whose name was Fernando de Bulloins, was born into a noble and wealthy family. In 1229, while studying at Coimbra, he joined the Franciscan order and took the name Antonio. He became a missionary, traveled and sailed a lot, came to Italy, preached there, and settled in the city of Padua. In this city he died and was canonized in 1232, less than a year after his death. Saint Anthony is called the patron saint not only of Lisbon, but also of Padua.
The house where Saint Anthony was born was turned into a small chapel in the 15th century. In the 16th century, during the reign of King Manuel I, restoration work was carried out, as the building was practically destroyed. In 1730, more extensive work was carried out to restore the building. During the Lisbon earthquake in 1755, the church was destroyed, only the crypt with the sacristy survived. The construction work of the new building was started under the leadership of the architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira, who combined the Baroque and Rococo styles, as well as the features of neoclassicism in the architecture of the building.
The church is single-nave, with a vaulted ceiling. The paintings of the famous artist Pedro Alexandrino, as well as the decor in the form of ceramic tiles of the 17th century, attract attention. Part of the money for the construction was collected by children from passers-by with the words "one coin for St. Anthony."
In 1982, Pope John Paul II visited the church and inaugurated a monument to St. Anthony in the square in front of the church. The author of the monument is the sculptor Soares Branko.
