Belém Tower in Lisbon was first conceived under King John II, who wanted stronger defenses at the mouth of the Tagus River. King Manuel I ordered its construction, which began around 1514 and finished in 1519. The military architect Francisco de Arruda designed it at the height of the Portuguese Renaissance.
The tower is a prominent example of the Manueline style, with Moorish influences such as arched windows, balconies and ribbed domes. It combines a bastion with a four-story tower about 98 feet (30 m) tall. The decoration includes twisted ropes, armillary spheres, crosses of the Order of Christ and carved beasts, including a rhinoceros.
It was built as a fortification and ceremonial gateway to Lisbon, on a small island near the shore, and the riverbank later grew out around it. UNESCO listed it in 1983. It received 377,780 visitors in 2022 and is reached by a small bridge.
Comments