Igreja de São Vicente de Fora

In Largo de São Vicente, in Lisbon, the Church of São Vicente de Fora stands as one of the great architectural statements of the Philippine period. The origin of the complex dates back to 1147, when King Afonso Henriques ordered the foundation, outside the city walls, of a monastery dedicated to Saint Vincent, after the conquest of the city. The reconstruction of the church and monastery advanced at the beginning of the reign of Philip I, with work associated with Juan de Herrera, Filipe Terzi and Baltazar Álvares. The sober façade, with two towers integrated into the frontispiece, announces an interior with a single nave, transept and deep chancel, covered by a barrel vault with coffers. The crossing lost its dome in the 1755 earthquake. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the complex received inlaid marbles and tile panels. Classified as a National Monument since 1910, the church preserves a severe and monumental presence on the hill of São Vicente.