The Tower of Belem, looking towards the mouth of the Tagus
The Tower of Belem, close to the shoreline
Our final day in Portugal and I wanted a ‘taste’ of Lisbon so we did the obviously touristy things! The Tower of Belem was commissioned by King John I in the late 15C to strengthen the defense system at the mouth of the Tagus River and protect protect Lisbon. It was his successor, King Manual I who completed the project, in 1519. The Tower was built on an outcrop of rock close to the shore the earthquake of 1755 affected the course of the river and the Tower is now almost on the shore. It was named The Tower of St Vincent after the Patron Saint of Lisbon and altered several times during the following years.
The Tower of Belem, looking towards the opposite side of the Tagus
French ships exchanging fire with the Tower during the Battle of the Tagus, 1831 (Wikipedia)
The Virgin of Belem (aka The Virgin of the Grapes)
Hi! Nice article! If you liked Lisbon and the South you must visit Porto and the North. Start by my blog portoenvolto.com and I’m sure you will come soon!
Hi! Thank you for visiting. I have been to Braganza but still have to explore the north but it will have to wait until 2017