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The Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém, better known as Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, is a Portuguese monastery, built at the end of the 15th century by King D. Manuel I and was entrusted to the Order of São Jerónimo. It is located in the parish of Belém, in the city and municipality of Lisbon. It has, since 2016, the status of National Pantheon.

The culmination of Manueline architecture, this monastery is the most notable Portuguese monastic complex of its time and one of the main hall churches in Europe. Its construction began at the beginning of the 16th century and lasted for a hundred years, having been directed by a remarkable group of architects/master builders (the decisive role of João de Castilho should be highlighted).

The Jerónimos Monastery has been classified as a National Monument since 1907 and, in 1983, it was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, along with the Belém Tower. On the 7th of July 2007 it was chosen as one of the seven wonders of Portugal. Closely linked to the Portuguese Royal House and the epic of the Discoveries, the Jerónimos Monastery was, from very early on, "interiorized as one of the symbols of the nation".

It is now one of the most important tourist attractions in Portugal, with a total of 807,854 visitors in 2014, 944,000 in 2015 and 1,166,793 in 2017.

History

Restelo, an area close to Lisbon where the future Jerónimos Monastery would be located, was originally a small village on the bank of the Tagus River. It grew under the impulse of maritime trade and naval production, which would come to have great strategic and logistical importance with regard to the protection of Portuguese maritime routes, later transforming itself into a large commercial port and shelter for navigators. The Conquest of Ceuta (1415), the Indies and the coast of Africa gave great impetus to Portuguese maritime expansion and consequently to the growth of this port, then called Restelo. However, such growth was not accompanied by the development of the necessary infrastructure, which makes the population, already crushed by the difficulties on the high seas, more vulnerable to diseases. To meet these new demands, Infante Dom Henrique, in 1452, ordered the construction of the Hermitage of Santa Maria de Belém, as well as water pipe services, houses for housing the presbytery and land for agricultural production. In this church, the great navigators like Pedro Álvares Cabral, Vasco da Gama and others, held vigils before setting out on their great sea voyages.

In 1496, even before the discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, D. Manuel I asked the Holy See for authorization to erect a large monastery in the place of the old chapel of the Order of Christ at entrance to Lisbon, along the banks of the Tagus. Having received this authorization on June 23, of the same year, by the bull "Eximiae devotionis" issued by Pope Alexander VI.

Two years later, the same king donated the place of Santa Maria de Belém to the Jerónimos friars, for the construction of a monastery that should have the capacity to house 100 religious and where the public services previously provided to navigators by the Order of Christ should be continued. Taking possession of the place, from the material point of view on January 17, 1499 and canonically on April 21, 1500, the works began in 1502, supported by the Crown, under the administration of the monks and a vedor, passing in 1505 to be managed by the "Table of Tales".

In 1517, by order of Pope Leo X, the Monastery became the mother house of that order and its prior, the Provincial.

In 1518 D. Manuel decided, in his will, to transform it into his own pantheon, expanding "the exceptional character of the monarchy and the lineage that had been born with him, as a branch of the Avis dynasty. "But he wanted to distinguish it through a work sumptuous, which was in accordance with the principles of royal propaganda and the glorification of a kingdom, which was confused with his person".

The building was built in limestone (lioz) extracted from quarries not far from the implantation site. The grandeur of the enterprise and the richness of the execution lasted the works for a hundred years, in successive construction contracts that had as responsible masters Diogo de Boitaca (first architect in charge of the works), João de Castilho, Diogo de Torralva and, by last, Jerome of Rouen. Appointed as the culmination of Manueline architecture, the Jerónimos Monastery integrates architectural elements from the late Gothic and Renaissance, associating them with a royal, Christological and naturalist symbology, which makes it unique.

The monks of the Order of Saint Jerónimo (hence the name Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) were chosen to occupy the monastery, a religious community that inhabited these spaces until the extinction of the religious orders in the 19th century (1834). The monastery was then handed over to the Real Casa Pia de Lisboa (an institution dedicated to the reception and education of orphans and the recovery of beggars and disadvantaged people and which would occupy the spaces of the cloister until 1940); the Church became the Parish Church of the Parish of Santa Maria de Belém. Throughout this process, a large part of the monastery's valuable contents was lost.

Chronology and edification

During the reign of King Manuel I, two major construction works for the monument can be considered: the first was directed by Diogo de Boitaca, who defined the layout of the monastery and church, probably revising its scale in 1513 when the king acquired more land for the building, which reveals an intention to enhance the work; the second takes place from January 2, 1517, now under the general coordination of João de Castilho. "Castilho's virtuosity in managing subcontracts is the key to the success of the intervention that puts nothing more, nothing less than two hundred and fifty workers on the field at the same time". Under his coordination, the works are deployed in seven different areas: south portal; axial portal; chapter room; sacristy; cloister; refectory; choir chapels. Efforts are made to finish the ground floor of the cloister and start construction on the second floor (which will result in the first two-storey vaulted cloister) as well as the execution of the portals (south and axial), sacristy, refectory, part of the walls and portal of the chapter room. The coverage of the naves and the cross of the church was carried out using new and bold technical solutions that allowed for the design of an unprecedented unified space, the first large Portuguese hall church. With Castilho, there is also a change in terms of architectural ornamentation, initially marked by late Gothic and which will open to the air of Renaissance classicism ("to the Roman") through the Spanish Plateresque.

In 1530 João de Castilho abandoned work on the Jerónimos Monastery. Ten years later, Diogo de Torralva took office (until 1551), who carried out several finishing works on the previous constructions. A new entrance was also built (replaced in the 17th century), the choir stalls were designed and the chancel was altered in order to receive the remains of King Manuel I. But it was Jerónimo de Ruão who took over the completion of the building , occupying the position of master builder of the Monastery from 1563 until the date of his death in 1601. He was responsible for the new chancel, of a mannerist nature, which contrasted with the Manueline style, dominant in the rest of the building.

The original plan followed the typical layout of a monastic house, including the church, cloister and outbuildings. What we can still find in Belém today preserves the essential aspects of the initial design (16th century), but it is also a repository of the countless changes and additions made in later centuries, of which the remodeling carried out in the 19th century should be highlighted, which included the construction of the long building, neo-Manueline, to the west of the monastery, where today the National Museum of Archeology and part of the Museum of the Navy are located.

In the first decades of the 20th century, several works were carried out: completion of the central body of the annex; chair restoration; dismantling of the Choir-Alto organs; installation of stained glass windows on the south façade designed by Abel Manta. Other restorations took place in preparation for the centenary celebrations of the Foundation and Restoration of the nationality (1140 and 1640 respectively), which would culminate in the great initiative of the Estado Novo, the Portuguese World Exhibition, 1940 (the initiative occupied the vast space that opens between the monastery, the true backdrop of the exhibition, and the river / Torre de Belém). At that time, Casa Pia abandoned the cloister area; the tombs of Camões and Vasco da Gama were transferred from the cross to the subchoir; the entrance porch was rebuilt.

Completed in 1993, the building of the Centro Cultural de Belém, more precisely its module on the east side, partially obstructs the unobstructed view that existed for centuries between the Jerónimos Monastery and the bank of the Tagus river.

Panorama of the monastery from the Monument to the Discoveries.

Igreja

The Church has a Latin cross plan, consisting of three naves at the same height (hall church), covered by an extensive multi-veined vault supported by six pillars. The crossing vault covers, without intermediate supports, a width of 30 meters, representing "the most complete realization of the late medieval ambition to cover the largest possible span with the minimum of supports" (Kubler). The profusion of ornaments reaches its peak in this vast space.

In the chapel to the left of the transept the Cardinal-King D. Henrique and the sons of D. Manuel I are buried; the one on the right is the tomb of D. Sebastião and the descendants of D. João III. The church also houses the tombs of Camões and Vasco da Gama, by Costa Mota, uncle.

The initial chancel, in Boitaca, was demolished and replaced by another, built in 1571 by D. Catarina, wife of D. João III. It was designed by Jerónimo de Ruão, who introduced the Mannerist style here, establishing a strong contrast with the Manueline body of the Church. In the open arcades between the pairs of lateral columns are the tombs of D. Manuel and his wife, D. Maria, D. João III and D. Catarina. On the main altar is an altarpiece by the painter Lourenço de Salzedo with scenes from the Passion of Christ and the Adoration of the Magi.

Upper choir and sacristy

Prior to 1551, the high choir was used, among others, for the fundamental activities of the monks of the Order of Saint Jerome (prayers, chants and religious services), as the Chapter Room remained unfinished until the 19th century. The (very notable) monastic stalls occupying the space to the west were designed by Diogo de Torralva and built by Diogo de Sarça (Diego de la Zarza) between 1548 and 1550; its elaborate erudite design reveals the influence of mannerist models. Over the balustrade of the upper choir stands a 'Crucified Christ' (1550) by the Flemish sculptor Philippe de Vries (Filipe Brias); Offered in 1551 by Infante D. Luís, it is considered a milestone in the triumph of the Renaissance in Portugal. The set of paintings representing the apostles that integrates the stalls is by an unknown author.

Attached to the church, the spacious sacristy room stands out, whose vault radiates from a central column. Conceived by João de Castilho, its construction dates from 1517-1520. The furniture includes a wooden chest from the 16th century, presumably from the design of Jerónimo de Ruão, where vestments and liturgical implements are preserved. On the backrest are fourteen oil paintings depicting scenes from the life of St. Jerónimo (attributed to the Mannerist painter Simão Rodrigues; executed c. 1600-1610).

Portals

At the Jerónimos Monastery, due to their artistic and iconographic value, the "fundamental testimonials" that are its portals, oriented to the south and west (the latter is also called the axial Portal, as it is located on the axis of symmetry of the building, in front of the Main Altar). The two portals should be read together "like a diptych carved to the glory of King Manuel I".

South portal

Built over two years (1517, 1518) by João de Castilho and his officers, the South Portal is one of the richest pieces of Portuguese late Gothic architecture. Its structure reaches 32 meters in height and more than 12 meters in width, presenting itself as a true "door of Christendom" with triumphal characteristics. Authorship cannot be attributed to a single artist. João de Castilho was responsible for the overall design and had a large team at his service, which reached 200 performers (imaginers, bricklayers, dressers, decorators, etc.), with greater or lesser responsibility for the final definition of the work. Among the most prominent names are Diogo de Castilho, André Pilarte, Juan de la Faya or Machim.

Of the two, this is the more complex portal from an iconographic point of view, with a total of forty figures, thirty-eight alluding to Sacred History, one to the history of Portugal, in addition to the national arms, in the central bas-relief at the top. of the eardrum. At the base of the portal are the twelve apostles; in the buttresses, those who predicted the birth of Christ (sybyls and prophets); in the centre, the Virgin and Child; to crown the whole, four Fathers or Doctors of the Church and, at the top, São Miguel, the Guardian Angel of the Kingdom. Further down, in a central position between the two entrance doors, the statue of Infante D. Henrique, ancestor of King D. Manuel (kinship link between D. Manuel and the House of Avis). On the eardrums are two scenes from the life of St. Jerome.

West portal (axial)

Although smaller in scale than the South Portal, this is the main door of the Jerónimos Monastery, occupying a position opposite the main altar. It must have been initially designed by Diogo de Boitaca and later by João de Castilho, as can be deduced from the Hispano-Flemish Gothic nature of the architectural elements. It was executed by Nicolau Chanterene and his company, with the hand of the French master dictating a significant stylistic inflection, with the introduction of classic Renaissance motifs.

The upper part of the portal is occupied by three niches with scenes from the birth of Christ: the Annunciation, Nativity and Adoration of the Magi. In the lateral areas, among representations of saints and figures of the apostolate, the praying statues of the founding kings, with their respective insignia and their patron saints stand out: on the left side D. Manuel I and São Jerónimo; on the right side, Queen D. Maria and São João Baptista.

Cloister

The Jerónimos cloister is the first of its kind in Portugal, having two vaulted floors and a square plan, with cut corners, forming a virtual octagon. It is considered a masterpiece of world architecture and constitutes an aesthetic testimony of extraordinary beauty, whose harmony resulted from the skill and delicacy of the masters who, in three successive campaigns, dedicated themselves to its construction – initially designed by Diogo de Boitaca, it underwent adaptations by João de Castilho and was completed by Diogo de Torralva.

The cloister synthesizes diverse genres and styles, reflecting an effective interpretation of the principles of late Gothic, experimental Renaissance, decorative character, and mature Renaissance or High Renaissance. Combining religious symbols (including elements of the Passion of Christ), royal symbols (royal shield, armillary sphere, cross of the Military Order of Christ) and naturalistic elements (ropes and plant motifs that coexist with a still medieval imagery of fantastic animals), the iconographic richness of the decorative elements is remarkable. There are few European buildings from that time with such a rich and dense decorative load of meaning. "The celebration of the royal couple, [...] the elevation of the biblical narrative of the Passion of Christ and the declamation of the Portuguese epic [...] are assumed here in a single speech, with various combinations", contributing to the "mythical projection of a superior mission to be performed by the Portuguese kingdom".

In the north wing of the lower cloister is the tomb of Fernando Pessoa (1985), by Lagoa Henriques.

Chapter room, refectory, confessionals and bookstore (library)

Directly connected to the cloister, various annexes are distributed, with emphasis on the chapter room, the refectory, the confessionals and the bookshop (library):

Executed by Rodrigo de Pontezilha, the door of the Chapter Room was completed in the years 1517-1518. However, the room itself never had its intended use, as the vault and interior decoration only began to be completed in 1886. Two years later, the tomb of Alexandre Herculano (by Eduardo Augusto da Silva) was placed in the center of the room. Silva), which would be altered in 1940 and of which the tomb remains. The Chapter Room was temporarily used as a pantheon for other more recent personalities in the History of Portugal, who would later be transferred to the National Pantheon. The refectory was built between 1517 and 1518 by master Leonardo Vaz and his officers. With its vaulted and ribbed vault, it clearly exemplifies the taste of the Manueline period. Beneath thick stone cords, the walls are covered with ashlar tiles from 1780-1785. There are twelve, the doors of the old confessionals, although two are overturned by the Chapel of Senhor dos Passos. The confessor entered the confessional through the Cloister and the penitent entered through the Church, being separated by an iron railing. The bookshop (or library) was built around 1640. At the time of the extinction of the Community, the library had around 8,000 volumes. At present, this room hosts a permanent documentary exhibition that aims to build a memory of the 500 years of the Jerónimos Monastery.

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