Torre de Belém

Belém Tower has the grace of a Manueline jewel and the firmness of a fortress built to guard the entrance to the Tagus. Raised in the reign of King Manuel the First, from 1514 onwards, and designed by Francisco de Arruda, it grew closely tied to the port of Lisbon, Jerónimos Monastery and the imagination of the Discoveries. Its form combines a medieval-looking tower with a modern bulwark, while the exterior is covered with ropes, knots, armillary spheres, crosses of the Order of Christ and other motifs that make the stone feel almost like lace. It is worth lingering over the balcony facing the river and one surprising detail: the small rhinoceros carved into one of the façades. From above, the Tagus and Belém come into sharper focus. It then becomes clear why this tower has become one of Lisbon’s great symbols and a UNESCO World Heritage site.