Having read much about this Monastery/Church, it was high on our list of places to visit in Lisbon. The church itself was completed in the early 1600’s although it wasn’t until the 18th century that the monastery was completed. Like many other buildings in Lisbon, the church was severely damaged in the 1755 earthquake.
The monastery was amazing. It’s cloisters were decorated with 18th century blue-coloured tiles (azulejos).
The sacristy is famous for its different varieties of marble.
The Pantheon commemorates the Braganza family, the last monarchs to rule Portugal. It is a beautiful chamber with many of Portugal’s other monarchs buried here as well. The statue of the weeping woman is poignant.
I found the entire place to be an awesome photographic opportunity. Here are a few of my hints to capturing great photos. Make sure you allow plenty of time for your visit.
Look up, look down – the ceilings and floors are highly photogenic. Zoom in close for the details. You may need to be patient and wait for other tourists to clear the area for your ideal photo.
Use parts of the structure to frame your photos – there are many photo opportunities on the rooftop.
Use flowers for colour – flowers can add vibrancy to a plain coloured building. The bougainvillea were brilliant in September.
Enter the Museum – look for interesting artefacts to photograph (or parts of). If they are in glass cases, make sure you use the setting “Auto No Flash” on your camera. It’s amazing what wonderful treasures you will discover. The dates of these objects intrigue me – so old but still in good condition. Look down at the pedestals that hold up burial chambers for some classic artwork in itself.
The old blue tiles are well represented throughout the monastery. Zoom in on particular aspects of some tiles, while getting the full story of others.
And now for some random views of this amazing place. Definitely worth a visit if you are visiting Lisbon.
The steps in the photo below not only showcase the tiled sides, but lead you down to yet another part of the building. Take note of the different floors as you go.
On the rooftop, the white balustrades combined with the blue sky and water made for some surreal photos.
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