Obras-primas da arquitectura portuguesa, o Real Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Belém, conhecido como Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, por ter sido destinado à Ordem de São Jerónimo, e a Torre de Belém, estão classificados como Monumentos Nacionais desde 1907 e inscritos na Lista do Património Mundial da UNESCO desde 1983.

The area of Restelo, historically associated with Belém, was, by the end of the fifteenth century, a small village and sheltered harbour serving the city of Lisbon. With improvements in ocean-going vessels, the development of longer-distance voyages, and the beginning of Portuguese maritime expansion, the settlement grew in both importance and population. In 1459, in recognition of the area’s maritime vocation, Prince Henry the Navigator ordered the enlargement of an existing small chapel, originally dedicated to Our Lady of the Star. Following its donation to the Order of Christ, the chapel adopted the dedication of Our Lady of the Kings, or Saint Mary of Belém.

From here departed Vasco da Gama’s caravels—having prayed and kept vigil in this chapel on the eve of the fleet’s departure for India, on 7 July 1497—and those of Pedro Álvares Cabral, bound for Brazil in 1500.

In 1495, King Manuel I petitioned the Holy See for permission to establish a hermitage for Hieronymite monks on the site of the chapel belonging to the Order of Christ, a concession he obtained the following year. Three years later, the monarch granted the site at Restelo to the influential Order of Saint Jerome as the location for the construction of the future monastery. The choice of this Order, closely associated with the Castilian dynastic cult, was not accidental; rather, it reflected Manuel I’s ambition for a future dynastic union—a strategy rooted in his marriage policy, which involved two successive marriages to daughters of the Catholic Monarchs

On the symbolically significant day of 6 January, in either 1501 or 1502, the Feast of the Epiphany, the foundation stone for the construction of the new monastery was laid. The feast of the Three Wise Men—who, having come from different parts of the world, brought gifts of great symbolic significance to the Christ Child—allows a parallel to be drawn with a new Bethlehem, a new point of departure for Christendom.

The stone used in the construction of the Jerónimos Monastery was predominantly lioz, a type of limestone known for its light colour, great durability and abundance of fossils. It was quarried locally, in nearby quarries such as those of Rio Seco, Ribeira da Ajuda and Alcolena, Raposeira, Vinhas, and Laveiras in Caxias. The exception is the High Chapel, built between 1557 and 1562 in Estremoz marble, on the initiative of Queen Catherine.

1 – Detail showing the Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery from Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Band 1, 1572, by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg

2 – View of Belem Monastery near Lisbon, c. 1660–1670, by Dirck Stoop

During the reign of King Manuel I, two major phases in the construction of the Jerónimos Monastery may be identified. For the first, the prestigious master builder and architect Diogo Boitaca (Jacques Boytac) was commissioned. Probably of French origin, he had already worked on the Monastery of Jesus in Setúbal and, from 1514 onwards, on the Belém Tower. His commission included the initial planning and direction of the works between 1502 and 1516. Combining decorative elements inherited from the Late Gothic with diverse influences that would come to shape what became known as the Manueline style, Boitaca developed a decorative scheme dominated by royal and religious symbols—such as the armillary sphere, the Cross of the Order of Christ and the royal coat of arms—combined with naturalistic, fantastical and mythological elements of great iconographic richness.

According to the historiographical tradition, the Jerónimos Monastery represents the high point of the Manueline style.

Boitaca established the principal architectural structure and the monumentality of the complex, particularly of the church, which displays innovative features for its time. With a single-nave plan supported by elegantly ornamented columns, the church is characterised by a strong vertical emphasis and complex vaulting, structured around an intricate network of ribs. A significant part of the cloister also belongs to this phase of his commission.

From 1516 onwards, the presence of João de Castilho becomes clearly documented. He worked alongside Boitaca until 1517, after which the Biscayan master and architect assumed definitive responsibility for directing the building works, while Boitaca’s name disappears from all documentation.

João de Castilho (c. 1470–1552) was from Cantabria, in the Trasmiera region of northern Spain, and went on to become one of the great architects of his time, recognised throughout Europe and a central figure in Portuguese architecture. His genius was acknowledged by Kings Manuel I and John III, who rewarded his contribution with noble titles, including Esquire and Knight of the Royal Household. He settled in Portugal around 1508, leaving evidence of his skill and ingenuity in several of the most emblematic buildings of the period, with significant involvement in projects such as the Convent of Christ, the Monastery of Batalha and Braga Cathedral.

João de Castilho’s contribution to the Jerónimos Monastery proved particularly significant in resolving structural aspects, but also through the subtle and balanced introduction of stylistic solutions drawing on aesthetic forms that combined the influence of the Plateresque with the more classical language of the Renaissance.

In addition to his genius as an architect, Castilho was also a highly capable manager. The construction of the monastery accelerated considerably during this period, with several projects being undertaken simultaneously, and he was responsible for numerous groups of workers from different backgrounds and with different areas of expertise.

João de Castilho remained in charge of the works at the Jerónimos Monastery even after the death of King Manuel. However, from 1528 onwards, during the reign of King John III, he moved to the Convent of Christ in Tomar, a period which coincided with a certain loss of momentum in the works at Jerónimos. The project was resumed only in 1540, under Diogo de Torralva, who completed the High Chapel of the church and the monastic choir stalls in the upper choir. He would remain the “Master of Works at Belém” until 1551, adopting a more Italianate decorative language, whose finest expression is the parapet adorned with images of panoplies, busts, triumphal motifs, tondi and mythological figures. Its Renaissance decoration contrasts with the Manueline openings of the gallery.

King John III died in 1557, and Queen Catherine, by then a widow, undertook the honourable task of providing a burial place for her parents-in-law, King Manuel and Queen Maria, as well as for her husband, King John III. To this end, she commissioned the construction of a new High Chapel under the direction of Jerónimo de Ruão, who introduced an entirely innovative design, breaking with the more distinctly Manueline language of the church. This architect remained in charge of the monastery’s works until 1601, the year of his death. By this time, little more than a century after construction had begun, the Jerónimos Monastery was practically complete. The works carried out in the following decades and, indeed, centuries, consisted essentially of ornamentation in accordance with the styles of each period, or adaptations to changing needs—for example, the closing of the ground-floor arcades of the dormitory to accommodate the English troops who came to Portugal’s aid during the Civil War (1832-1834).

With the dissolution of the Religious Orders in December 1833, the Jerónimos Monastery entered a period of neglect and abandonment, resulting in the loss of part of its valuable contents. Casa Pia, a social welfare institution for orphans, beggars and the disadvantaged, occupied the monastery’s premises from 1834 to 1940.

From 1859 onwards, the then Provost of Casa Pia proposed a series of adaptation works aimed at accommodating the institution and its various services satisfactorily. Works were also undertaken to complete, adapt and give a new appearance to the dormitory wing, under the direction of the Italian-born Rambois and Cinatti, set designers at the São Carlos Theatre.

Following the collapse of the central section in 1878, while it was still under construction, which resulted in the deaths of ten workers, the refurbishment programme took a different direction. The engineer Raimundo Valadas, Director of Casa Pia, and the architect Rafael de Castro were appointed to design and oversee the works. These included filling the gap caused by the collapse and subsequent demolition of the central section. During the celebrations marking the tercentenary of Camões, the remains of Camões and Vasco da Gama were transferred to the church of the Jerónimos Monastery, where they were placed in Neo-Manueline tombs sculpted by António Augusto da Costa Motta (the elder). The first floor of the dormitory was fitted with arcaded galleries with stone mullions, while the ruined Chapter House was ceded to the Executive Committee of the Monument to Alexandre Herculano, with its Neo-Manueline reconstruction entrusted to Raimundo Valadas. In 1886, the second floor of the cloister was restored, including the upper sections of the niches, flying buttresses, gargoyles, springers and the columns dividing the arches.

In this context, the various types of work undertaken were based on the Neo-Manueline style, a Romantic revival that sought primarily to appropriate the decorative and sculptural language of the late Flamboyant Gothic of King Manuel’s reign, incorporating into its iconography nautical motifs associated with Portuguese maritime expansion and voyages. Most of the maritime-themed decorative elements currently visible in the Jerónimos Monastery—ropes, fish, anchors and ships—are found in the sections restored during the nineteenth century. This “architectural mode”, which originated in the nineteenth century, also proliferated in other Portuguese monuments as a result of restoration and building campaigns.

In the first decades of the twentieth century, various works were undertaken, including the completion of the restoration of the choir stalls and the dismantling of the organ in the upper choir, as well as the installation of the stained-glass windows in the south façade, designed by João Abel Manta. Further restoration works were carried out in preparation for major initiatives of the Estado Novo, such as the Portuguese World Exhibition in 1940. It was also around this time that Casa Pia vacated the cloister area, and the tombs of Camões and Vasco da Gama were moved from the crossing to the under-choir (the area beneath the upper choir).

1 – (© Lisbon Municipal Archive | PT AMLSB-POR-13-122)
2 – (© Photograph – Nuno Cera/Jerónimos Monastery)

At the entrance to the church, in the area beneath the upper choir, the Baptistery is on the right, followed by the tomb of Luís de Camões, while on the left are the Chapel of the Lord of the Passion, followed by the tomb of Vasco da Gama. It is the only European church of the sixteenth century to achieve complete uniformity of architectural elements within the hall-church typology. Laid out on a Latin-cross plan, with a broad central nave supported by elegantly decorated columns, it displays a strong sense of verticality and complex vaulting structured around an intricate network of ribs. The three aisles are of equal height and are covered by a single, low-rise, multi-ribbed vault resting on eight octagonal piers, sculpted with bronze bosses bearing royal heraldic motifs. The crossing forms a unified space, with a barrel vault supported on corbels and two large piers that terminate the body of the church.

At the left-hand end of the transept are the tombs of Cardinal-King Henry and the children of King Manuel I, while at the right-hand end are the tombs of King Sebastian and the children of King John III. At both ends, the altars feature reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Saint Jerome. The chancel arch is flanked by two octagonal stone pulpits. The High Chapel, rebuilt on the orders of Queen Catherine, wife of King John III, was designed by Jerónimo de Ruão. It is covered by a coffered marble barrel vault and contains, along its sides, the tombs of King Manuel I, Maria of Aragon and Castile, King John III and Catherine of Austria, supported by marble elephants. The great silver tabernacle is adorned with painted panels depicting the Passion of Christ and the Adoration of the Magi.

Built between 1517 and 1520 and designed by João de Castilho, the Sacristy is a spacious rectangular room, in which the single, low-rise, radiating vault springs from a central Renaissance column, where traces of the former lavabo can still be seen. 

A wooden chest of drawers runs along the walls, interrupted only by a seventeenth-century chest of drawers, still used today to store the vestments. Above it, fourteen paintings (1600–1610), attributed to Simão Rodrigues, depict the life of Saint Jerome.

A space intended for the monks’ prayers, chants and religious offices, the Upper Choir is a Renaissance masterpiece of wood carving, executed by the master craftsman Diogo de Sarça to a design by Diogo de Torralva. Also in the Upper Choir is a figure of Christ on the Cross, carved by the Flemish sculptor Philippe de Vries in 1551 and presented to the monastery by Infante Luís, son of King Manuel I.

This monumental south-facing portal, built between 1517 and 1518 by João de Castilho, features at its summit a figure of Saint Michael the Archangel. At its centre is an image of Our Lady of Belém, or Our Lady of the Kings, holding the Christ Child. She is flanked by prophets, apostles, Doctors of the Church, virgins and sibyls. In the tympana above the doors are scenes from the life of Saint Jerome, while between the paired doorways stands the figure of Prince Henry the Navigator.

Executed by Nicolau Chanterenne in 1517, it is considered the first work of the Renaissance in Portugal. Above the portal, from left to right, are three niches depicting scenes from the birth of Christ: the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi. 

On the left is the kneeling statue of King Manuel I in prayer, accompanied by his patron saint, Saint Jerome. On the right is Queen Maria, wife of King Manuel I, accompanied by her patron saint, Saint John the Baptist.

The Cloister is considered one of the monastery’s most artistically significant features, owing to its balance, harmonious proportions, originality and, above all, the unique beauty of its decoration. The cloister is quadrangular, with chamfered corners on the inner façade, creating an octagonal form that projects through both vaulted levels. Both were planned by Boitaca during the monastery’s first construction phase, although he completed only the lower level. The upper level was subsequently completed by João de Castilho and Diogo de Torralva between 1540 and 1541. A balustraded gallery on the upper level is decorated with twenty niches containing life-size statues. This is an unusual arrangement in the context of Portuguese architecture, while also revealing intriguing foreign influences. Above this gallery is an upper parapet designed by Torralva, distinctly Renaissance in character and decorated with Roman-style medallions.

A serene space intended for the monks’ prayer and meditation, its decoration combines vegetal, heraldic, sacred and grotesque motifs, accentuating the structure, form and function of the architectural elements. It is a striking space for visitors, distinguished by its strongly theatrical and palatial character.

In the north wing of the cloister’s ground floor stands the tomb of Fernando Pessoa, a funerary monument by the sculptor Lagoa Henriques, bearing excerpts from the poet’s heteronyms.

Originally intended for the monks’ chapter meetings, this room was never used for that purpose. It was only completed in the nineteenth century to permanently house the remains of the historian and novelist Alexandre Herculano (1810–1877). 

The doorway leading to the cloister was executed by Rodrigo de Pontezilha in 1517–1518, but the completion of the vault and the interior decoration were only undertaken from 1886 onwards. The tomb was designed in the Neo-Gothic style by Eduardo Augusto da Silva in 1888, but was modified and simplified in 1940, when only the tomb chest was retained.

Built between 1517 and 1518 by Leonardo Vaz, the former refectory has a low, multi-ribbed vault. Thick stone ribs applied as decorative elements to the walls frame the rectangular room. The walls are lined with an eighteenth-century azulejo dado depicting scenes from the “Life of Joseph in Egypt”, from the Old Testament. At the entrance is a panel depicting the “Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes”, the only scene relating to the New Testament.

On the wall opposite the windows there was once a small wooden pulpit, intended for the reading of Holy Scripture and the Lives of the Saints during meals. At the southern end, above the heating fireplace, is an oil mural painting of the “Adoration of the Shepherds”, attributed to António Campelo (late sixteenth century), restored in 1992.

Within the cloister there are twelve doors leading to confessionals connected to the church. Only ten doors are visible, as two are concealed by the Chapel of the Lord of the Passion. 

The confessor entered from the cloister, while the penitent entered from the church, the two remaining separated within the confessional by an iron grille, thus maintaining the separation between the monastic enclosure and the area accessible to the outside world. The monks were responsible for hearing the confessions of sailors and pilgrims.

Part of the State heritage since the dissolution of the Religious Orders, the building now houses the Maritime Museum to the west, the National Museum of Archaeology in the central dormitory wing, and the Cloister and Church, which are managed by Museums and Monuments of Portugal, E.P.E. The church remains open for worship.

Considered the most remarkable Portuguese monastic complex of its time and one of Europe’s foremost hall churches, it is also one of the symbols not only of the city of Lisbon, together with the Belém Tower, but of Portugal as a whole.

It was designated a National Monument in 1907 and, in 1983, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 – (© Photographs – Nuno Cera/Jerónimos Monastery)
7 and 9 – (© Photographs – Jorge Vila Nova/Jerónimos Monastery)

Luís Vaz de Camões (c. 1524–1580) is recognised as the greatest poet in the Portuguese language and one of the central figures of Western literature. His masterpiece, the epic poem Os Lusíadas (1572), regarded by many as the most important work of Portuguese literature, recounts Vasco da Gama’s discovery of the sea route to India, celebrating Portuguese heroism and the expansion of the empire.

The son of Simão Vaz de Camões and Ana de Sá Macedo, he was born in 1524 (?) and studied in Coimbra. In Ceuta, where he fought against the Muslims, he lost one of his eyes. He died in Lisbon on 10 June 1580, a date now celebrated as Portugal Day, Camões Day and Portuguese Communities Day.

The tomb of Luís de Camões is located beneath the choir of the Church of the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, where it was installed in 1880 during the commemorations marking the tercentenary of his death. The Neo-Manueline tomb chest, featuring a recumbent statue of the poet, was sculpted by Costa Mota (the elder) and contains the poet’s remains, which rest close to those of Vasco da Gama.

Vasco da Gama (c. 1469–1524) was the Portuguese navigator who commanded the first fleet to reach India by sea in 1498, discovering the sea route to India. He is one of the great figures of Portuguese and world history. Knighted into the Order of Christ by King Manuel I, he departed Lisbon on 8 July 1497, accompanied by his brother Paulo da Gama.

In the summer of 1499, Vasco da Gama returned triumphantly to Lisbon. His voyage opened the Cape Route, linking Europe with the East and establishing the foundations of the Portuguese colonial empire. In recognition of his achievement, King Manuel I rewarded Vasco da Gama with various honours, including, on Christmas Eve 1499, a promise to grant him the lordship of the town of Sines.

On his second expedition to India, in 1502, Vasco da Gama took control of the Indian Ocean routes, reaffirming his title of Admiral-Major, with the aim of imposing Portuguese military dominance.

Towards the end of his life, in 1524, he was appointed Viceroy of India by King John III, travelling east on his third voyage with authorisation to exercise fully the titles of Admiral and Governor.

His remains now rest in the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, close to the tomb of Luís de Camões.

Alexandre Herculano (1810–1877) was one of the leading figures of nineteenth-century Portuguese culture, distinguished as the introducer of Romanticism in Portugal and the founder of modern scientific historiography in the country.

He was responsible for introducing the historical novel to Portugal, with such emblematic works as Eurico, o Presbítero and Lendas e Narrativas.

His History of Portugal (História de Portugal), published between 1846 and 1853, marked a break with medieval chronicles, focusing instead on documentary rigour and the critical analysis of sources.

A committed liberal, he actively participated in the civil struggles of his time and was a staunch defender of Portugal’s national heritage.

He spent his final years in retirement at his estate in Vale de Lobos, near Santarém, where he devoted himself to agriculture. He died in 1877.

His remains lie in the Chapter House of the Jerónimos Monastery, in a tomb designed in the Neo-Gothic style by Eduardo Augusto da Silva.

Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935) was one of the greatest poets and writers in the Portuguese language and a central figure of Portuguese Modernism.

His genius lay in the creation of heteronyms: distinct literary personalities, each with their own biographies, styles and world views, extending far beyond the simple use of pseudonyms.

Born into families of the minor aristocracy on both his father’s and mother’s sides, he lost his father in 1893, when he was five years old. On 20 January 1896, Fernando and his mother, accompanied by an uncle, left for Durban, South Africa, where they were to join his stepfather, the Portuguese consul in the city. He received his primary education at a Catholic school run by Irish nuns. In 1899, he entered Durban High School, where he remained for three years and became one of the top pupils in his class. He became fluent in English, writing and translating extensively in the language. He returned to Lisbon in 1905, a city that became inseparable from his identity and work. He lived a private and reserved life, working as a commercial correspondent, freelance translator, and in a wide range of other occupations, including playwright, essayist, copywriter, astrologer, inventor, entrepreneur, literary critic and political commentator.

 (Message, 1934) was the only book of poetry in Portuguese published by the author during his lifetime, focusing on Portugal’s historical and esoteric themes.

His principal heteronyms, commemorated on his tomb in the Cloister of the Jerónimos Monastery, are Alberto Caeiro, the “master” of them all, whose work focuses on nature and direct sensory experience, without metaphysics; Ricardo Reis, a classical physician and advocate of discipline, influenced by Greco-Roman culture; Álvaro de Campos, a futuristic and modern engineer whose poetry ranges from technological euphoria to existential anguish; and Bernardo Soares, to whom Pessoa attributed the celebrated 

 (The Book of Disquiet), one of the most widely translated works of Portuguese literature.

The poet’s remains were transferred in 1985, on the fiftieth anniversary of his death, from the Prazeres Cemetery, where he was initially buried, to a mausoleum-column designed by the sculptor Lagoa Henriques.

King Manuel I (1469–1521), known as “the Fortunate”, was the 14th King of Portugal and one of the most prominent monarchs in the country’s history. He ascended to the throne following the death of his cousin, King John II, who had no legitimate heirs and had named him as his successor.

His reign (1495–1521) coincided with the height of the Age of Discoveries, transforming Portugal into a global power. Under his rule, Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India (1498), and Pedro Álvares Cabral reached Brazil (1500). He was the first European sovereign to style himself “Lord of the Conquest, Navigation and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia and India”.

Domestically, he promoted the Manueline Ordinances, a legal code that modernised the administration of the kingdom, and sponsored a Portuguese variant of Late Gothic architecture, the Manueline style, visible in monuments such as the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower.

He was born in Alcochete and died in Lisbon, possibly of the plague. He married three times, each time to a Spanish infanta—Isabella of Aragon, Maria of Aragon and Eleanor of Austria—with the aim of achieving Iberian dynastic union, something which, owing to various misfortunes, never came about under the Portuguese king’s rule.

He is buried in the High Chapel of the Church of Santa Maria de Belém, beside his second wife, Maria of Aragon and Castile, in a remarkable tomb resting upon elephants carved from dark grey marble. These animals symbolise power, the expansion of the Portuguese Empire in India, and the memory of the Manueline reign.

PANTHEON OF THE INFANTES, CHILDREN OF KING MANUEL I

There are four tombs in the chapel at the northern end of the transept, three of which contain the remains of two infantes each. Each tomb is set within an arch in the side walls and consists of a plinth bearing the funerary inscription, surmounted by a tomb chest. They bear neither elephants nor the royal crown.

Infante Luís (Abrantes, 1506 – Lisbon, 1555) was a highly educated prince. He accompanied his brother-in-law, Emperor Charles V, on the expedition against La Goulette and Tunis, earning recognition for his exploits during the campaign. He never married, but had a relationship with Violante Gomes, known as “the Pelican”, a very beautiful woman with whom he had a son, D. António, Prior of Crato, who would later claim the Portuguese Crown. He died at Quinta de Marvila, on the outskirts of Lisbon, at the age of 49.

Infante Carlos (Évora, 1520 – 1521) was the son of King Manuel I and his third wife, Eleanor.

Infante Duarte (Lisbon, 1515 – 1540), son of King Manuel I and Maria, was married to Isabel, daughter of Jaime, Duke of Braganza. They had three children, the youngest of whom was born posthumously: Maria of Portugal, Duchess of Parma and Piacenza; Catherine of Portugal, Duchess of Braganza, who was a candidate for the Portuguese throne in 1580; and Duarte of Portugal, 5th Duke of Guimarães.

Infanta Maria (Évora, 1511 – 1513), daughter of King Manuel I and Maria, died at a very young age.

Infante Afonso (Évora, 1509 – Lisbon, 1540), son of King Manuel I and Maria, was initially buried in Lisbon Cathedral, as he had stipulated, but in 1551 his remains were transferred to the Jerónimos Church, together with those of other deceased members of the family. He was Bishop of Guarda and Viseu, Archbishop of Lisbon, and held various other ecclesiastical titles and benefices. He was still a child when he was made a cardinal, receiving the cardinal’s hat at the age of 17. Infante Afonso is said to have had an illegitimate daughter, Bernarda de Lencastre, Abbess of the Monastery of Lorvão. He was a highly educated prince.

Infante Fernando (Abrantes, 1507 – 1534), son of King Manuel I and Maria, was created Duke of Guarda and Trancoso and Lord of Abrantes while still very young. Following his death, he was initially laid to rest in a tomb of his own in the Dominican church in Abrantes, together with his wife, Infanta Guiomar Coutinho, 5th Countess of Marialva and 3rd Countess of Loulé. In 1582, however, on the orders of Philip II, his remains were transferred to Belém, while his wife’s remains remained in Abrantes.

Infante António (Lisbon, 1516 – 1516), son of King Manuel I and Maria, died shortly after birth. His birth resulted in the death of his mother, the Queen.

Maria of Aragon and Castile (1482–1517) was the second wife of King Manuel I and Queen Consort of Portugal from 1500 until her death.

She was the fourth daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Her marriage to the Portuguese king formed part of a diplomatic strategy to strengthen ties between the Iberian crowns. She married King Manuel I in 1500, succeeding her elder sister, Isabella of Aragon, who had been the monarch’s first wife and had died in childbirth. She gave birth to one of the most influential royal families in Portuguese history, having ten children, including King John III, who would later become King of Portugal; Isabella, who became Holy Roman Empress through her marriage to Charles V; and Henry, the Cardinal-King, who later claimed the Portuguese throne.

She died in Lisbon at the age of 34, following complications after the birth of her last child. She is buried at the Jerónimos Monastery, the emblematic monument of her husband’s reign, in a similar tomb beside his.

King John III (1502–1557), known as “the Pious”, was the 15th King of Portugal, ascending to the throne in 1521. His reign was marked by a strategic focus on Brazil, with the implementation of the hereditary captaincies and administrative centralisation, the introduction of the Inquisition in 1536, and the strengthening of maritime trade.

The main aspects of his government were colonial policy and Brazil. He played a fundamental role in consolidating Portuguese territory in Brazil, sending the expedition led by Martim Afonso de Sousa and establishing the system of hereditary captaincies in 1534, as well as creating the first Governor-Generalship in 1548.

He faced financial crises and growing foreign competition in India. He introduced the Society of Jesus and the Inquisition in Portugal to reinforce Catholic orthodoxy, aligning the kingdom with the Counter-Reformation. He was a patron of the arts and learning, permanently transferring to Coimbra in 1537 the university that had been founded in Lisbon in 1288, and establishing colleges for the Jesuits.

He married Catherine of Austria, sister of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. They had ten children, all of whom died before him, leading to the succession of his grandson, King Sebastian.

He is buried in the High Chapel of the church of the Jerónimos Monastery, beside his wife, in a tomb commissioned by his grandson, King Sebastian, and executed by Jerónimo de Ruão approximately fifteen years after his death. A remarkable example of funerary art, it resembles the tomb of King Manuel I and likewise rests upon sculpted elephants.

PANTHEON OF THE INFANTES, CHILDREN OF KING JOHN III

There are four tombs in the chapel at the southern end of the transept, identical to those of the infante children of King Manuel I.

Infante João (Évora, 1537 – 1554) was the eighth child of King John III and his wife, Catherine of Austria. He became heir to the Portuguese throne in 1539. He survived his four elder brothers, who had died in infancy, but was a sickly adolescent. It is believed that the successive intermarriages between the Spanish and Portuguese royal houses may have contributed to his poor health. In 1552, he married Joanna of Austria, another Spanish princess and his first cousin on both his father’s and mother’s sides, as their parents were first cousins and grandchildren of the Catholic Monarchs. Joanna was the daughter of Emperor Charles V, brother of Queen Catherine, and Isabella of Portugal, sister of his father, King John III. Eighteen days after his death, at just sixteen years of age, the posthumous son of their marriage was born—the future King Sebastian I of Portugal.

Infante Manuel (Alvito, 1531 – Évora, 1537), son of King John III and his wife, Catherine, was sworn heir to the throne on 13 June 1536.

Infante Afonso (Almeirim, February – April 1526), first-born son of King John III and Queen Catherine, died at a very young age from a serious illness affecting the head, while the Court was in Almeirim.

Infante Filipe (Évora, 1533 – Lisbon, 1539), son of King John III and Queen Catherine. Following the death of his elder brother, Prince Manuel, on 14 April 1537, he was sworn heir to the Portuguese throne. He died at the Paço da Ribeira in Lisbon at just six years of age, plunging the Court and the kingdom into profound mourning and distress.

Infante António (Lisbon, 1539 – 1540) was the ninth and last child of King John III and Catherine. He died at the Paço da Ribeira, where he had been born, at just ten months of age, from epilepsy.

Infante Dinis (Évora, 1535 – 1537) was the seventh child of King John III and Catherine. He died on 1 January 1537, aged just one year and eight months, while his mother was pregnant with his brother, Infante João Manuel.

Infanta Isabel (Lisbon, 1529 – 1530), daughter of King John III and Catherine, died at a very young age.

Infanta Brites (Lisbon, 1530 – 1530), daughter of King John III and Catherine of Austria, died at one month of age.

Catherine of Habsburg and Aviz (also known as Catherine of Austria) was a central figure in sixteenth-century Portuguese history, serving as Queen Consort of Portugal (1525–1557) and subsequently as Regent of the Kingdom (1557–1562).

She was born in Torquemada, Spain, in 1507. The daughter of Philip I (“the Handsome”) and Joanna of Castile (“the Mad”), and sister of the Emperor Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, she spent part of her youth confined with her mother in Tordesillas, an experience that shaped her resilient character. In 1525, she married King John III of Portugal, cementing an important dynastic alliance between the Habsburgs and the House of Aviz.

She is described as one of Portugal’s most cultured and influential queens, responsible for introducing new standards of etiquette, luxury and art to the Portuguese Court. She was also an avid collector of works of art and curiosities. Following her husband’s death in 1557, she assumed the regency of Portugal during the minority of her grandson, King Sebastian. She governed firmly until 1562, when she handed over the regency to Cardinal Henry, the fifth son of King Manuel I.

She became known as the “surviving queen”, having outlived all her children and her husband. She died in 1578, shortly before King Sebastian’s departure for the tragic expedition to Alcácer Quibir.

She was directly responsible for the rebuilding of the High Chapel of the church of the Jerónimos Monastery, an austere and classicising work designed by Jerónimo de Ruão, which contrasts sharply with the profuse ornamentation of the rest of the church. Catherine is buried in this chapel beside her husband, King John III.

King Sebastian (1554–1578), known as “the Desired”, was one of the most enigmatic figures in Portuguese history. His short reign and premature disappearance profoundly shaped Portuguese identity and culture through the myth of “Sebastianism”.

He became king at the age of just three, following the death of his grandfather, King John III, in 1557. During his minority, the regency was first entrusted to his grandmother, Catherine of Austria, and subsequently to his great-uncle, Cardinal Henry.

He received a rigorous education centred on religion and military arts, growing up with the ambition of expanding Christendom and restoring Portugal’s glory.

Luís de Camões dedicated Os Lusíadas to King Sebastian, portraying the young monarch as the hope of Christendom and the leader destined to expand the Portuguese Empire. In the dedication (Canto I), Camões extols his lineage and urges him to accomplish heroic deeds surpassing those of his ancestors, reinforcing the messianic ideal.

At the age of 24, King Sebastian led a military expedition to Morocco to support a local ally and fight Muslim forces. On 4 August 1578, the Portuguese forces suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir, and King Sebastian died on the battlefield. The king’s body was identified at the site by several surviving Portuguese noblemen, who are said to have made a second oath confirming the identification later, in Lisbon, at the Carmo Convent.

The day after his death, King Sebastian’s body was taken to the house of the governor, Ibrahim Sufiani. The site in Morocco now bears a plaque commemorating the Portuguese monarch’s temporary stay there before his final transfer to Lisbon. Several months later, his remains were handed over at Ceuta, then a Portuguese possession, and were laid to rest in the Church of the Trinity for four years. In August 1582, Philip II of Spain, by then Philip I of Portugal, ordered the transfer of King Sebastian’s remains to the church of the Jerónimos Monastery.

Nevertheless, a popular belief arose that the king had not died and would return “on a foggy morning” to save Portugal and restore its independence. This messianic hope endured for centuries and influenced major literary figures, including Fernando Pessoa.

King Sebastian is buried in a tomb located in a side chapel of the transept of the Church of Santa Maria de Belém. Built in 1682 on the orders of King Peter II and attributed to Mateus do Couto, the marble monument is notable for being supported by two elephants, symbolising “eternity” and “Empire”.

O Cardeal-Rei D. Henrique nasceu no dia 31 de Janeiro de 1512 e faleceu no dia 31 de Janeiro de 1580, dia em que cumpriu exactamente 68 anos.

Quinto filho varão de D. Manuel I e da sua segunda mulher D. Maria de Aragão e Castela, foi o 17.º Rei de Portugal e o último monarca da dinastia de Avis. Enquanto Infante de Portugal, não era esperado que subisse ao trono pelo que, aos catorze anos, Henrique recebeu o sacramento da ordenação, para promover os interesses portugueses na Igreja Católica, na altura dominada pela Espanha.

Severo e conservador, dispensou no entanto até 1562, grande atenção à Cultura podendo ser considerado um príncipe de ideal renascentista. Além de cavalgar bem, falava fluentemente latim, grego, hebraico e tinha profundos conhecimentos de matemática, filosofia e teologia. Fundou a Universidade de Évora.

Depois de receber a confirmação da morte de D. Sebastião, acabou por suceder ao sobrinho-neto. Henrique renunciou então ao seu posto clerical e procurou imediatamente uma noiva para poder dar continuidade à dinastia de Avis, mas o Papa Gregório XIII, familiar dos Habsburgos que eram pretendentes ao trono de Portugal, não o libertou dos seus votos. Assumiu o trono mas morreu sem descendência, o que veio a provocar a crise de sucessão dinástica de 1580 e, consequentemente, a União Ibérica.

O túmulo do Cardeal-Rei D. Henrique, ou Henrique I de Portugal, encontra-se na Capela-mor da igreja do Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Embora tenha falecido em Almeirim em 1580, os seus restos mortais foram trasladados para o Mosteiro dos Jerónimos em 1682. O túmulo é um mausoléu de mármore, sustentado por elefantes, seguindo a tradição de outros túmulos reais da dinastia de Avis presentes no local, como o de D. Manuel I.

Infante Duarte (1521 – Lisbon, 1543) was the illegitimate and acknowledged son of King John III and Isabel Moniz, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Eleanor, the daughter of a governor of Lisbon. Known for his intelligence, he was appointed Archbishop of Braga at a very young age through his father’s influence, who showed him great affection.

He died prematurely at the age of 22 from smallpox. His tomb is a simple, slightly raised slab set into the floor. It is located in the southern chapel of the transept.

(Lisbon, 20 May 1723 – Lisbon, 1 November 1776) was the third Patriarch of Lisbon.

He studied canon law in Coimbra. He played a prominent political and religious role in Portugal during the reign of King Joseph I, acting as the right-hand man of the Marquis of Pombal’s policy of centralisation, and playing a crucial and controversial role in the legal and ecclesiastical process that paved the way for the expulsion of the Jesuits.

In April 1758, the Marquis of Pombal pressured Pope Benedict XIV—already on his deathbed—to issue a papal brief appointing Francisco de Saldanha as Visitor and Reformer of the Jesuits in Portugal and its overseas territories.

Pombal used the pretext that the Jesuits were engaged in extensive illicit commercial activities and displayed “greed for gold and land” in Paraguay and Brazil. In May 1758, Cardinal Saldanha issued a pastoral letter declaring the Jesuits guilty of engaging in “illicit trade” and ordering the confiscation of their property and commercial records.

Acting directly in coordination with the Crown, the Cardinal helped prohibit the Jesuits from preaching and hearing confessions within the Patriarchate of Lisbon. This decision destroyed the Order’s social and spiritual influence among the population and at Court.

In recognition of his complete adherence to Pombal’s strategy, he was appointed Patriarch of Lisbon in July 1758. The following year, in 1759, the royal decree ordering the expulsion of the Jesuits was issued.

Francisco de Saldanha da Gama oversaw the reconstruction of the diocese in the aftermath of the 1755 earthquake, patronising late Baroque and Pombaline religious art in the capital.

He died in Lisbon on 1 November 1776, aged 53, and was buried in the central nave of the church of the Jerónimos Monastery. His tomb is marked by a simple slab set into the floor.

1 to 10 – (© Jorge Vila Nova/Mosteiro dos Jerónimos)
11 – (© Paulo Medeiros/Mosteiro dos Jerónimos)
12 – (© Jorge Vila Nova/Mosteiro dos Jerónimos)

7. RECEPTION – ENTRANCE TO THE CLOISTER

10. CHAPTER HOUSE AND TOMB OF ALEXANDRE HERCULANO

1. MONUMENTAL STAIRCASE TO THE UPPER FLOOR

The Jerónimos Monastery included a vast area of land surrounding it, known as the monastic precinct. It comprised agricultural land, pastures, orchards, a pine grove, woodland, mills, quarries and lime kilns. Its primary purpose was to provide for the self-sufficiency of the monastic community. Beyond its productive function, the enclosure also provided a privileged setting for retreat and contemplation, with four hermitages, of which only two have survived to the present day.

The original area of the enclosure was established through the donation by King Manuel I of several plots of land, which he had purchased for this purpose. It was subsequently enlarged through further purchases and donations made over the years, and enclosed by a wall along its entire perimeter.

The boundaries of the enclosure therefore varied over time, but its principal area may be considered to have extended from the buildings of the Jerónimos Monastery and the Maritime Museum, rising towards the Chapel of St Jerome and then towards the vicinity of the Santana Mills, before descending along Rua dos Jerónimos.

The precinct area had underground water sources that supplied the water system used for irrigation, for storage in a large reservoir, and for both animal and human consumption.

Guests of the monastery had access to the enclosure. King John IV’s fondness for hunting in the enclosure of the Jerónimos Monastery became particularly well known. He found the setting so agreeable that he ordered a house to be built there where he could rest and take his meals. The house contained such a beautiful fountain that it is said to have inspired a vilancico, the lyrics of which were reportedly inscribed on the ceiling of the said house.

The Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém also managed other agricultural properties that came into its possession through bequests, donations, exchanges and other means. These included several smallholdings (casais) not far away, Praia de Belém, and the three principal estates on the south bank of the Tagus, in the Arrentela and Seixal area. The produce from the estates on the south bank was transported by river, encouraging the development of this form of transport and of trade between the two banks in the Belém area. Goods in excess of the monastery’s needs were sold mainly at the celebrated Belém Fair, which was held for centuries in front of the monastery façade. Other produce was used to provision ships departing from that shore.

Following the dissolution of the religious orders, the land within the enclosure was adapted to meet the subsistence needs of Casa Pia, with the agricultural use of the land being maintained and an agricultural school even established on the site.

During the twentieth century, the former enclosure acquired a new character as a result of the urban development promoted by the Restelo Urbanisation Plan. The Restelo Stadium was built, together with a residential development that definitively transformed the almost rural setting that had existed until then.

1 – Detail from the “Great Panorama of Lisbon”, 17th century, National Tile Museum
2 – Detail from the “Portrait of the Marquis of Pombal”, 1766, Louis-Michel van Loo, Oeiras Municipal Council

With the foundation of the Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém, there was intense activity in the acquisition of land for the establishment of the monastic enclosure. It was in this context, during the monastery’s initial building campaign, that the Chapel of Saint Jerome was constructed.

Situated at the top of a hill in Belém, Lisbon, its construction began in 1514, based on a design attributed to Diogo de Boitaca, the first great architect of the Jerónimos Monastery. Master Rodrigo Afonso was responsible for completing the work in 1517, following Boitaca’s removal from the direction of the building campaigns, when he was replaced by João de Castilho.

The building aptly represents one of the defining characteristics of the Hieronymite Order – retreat and individual prayer in a place removed from the centre of the monastic community. In keeping with this principle, four chapels were built within the monastic enclosure, of which only two survive today – the Chapel of the Santo Cristo and the Chapel of Saint Jerome. The exact locations of the now-lost Chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene and Chapel of Our Lady are unknown.

Iconographic evidence shows that the Chapel of Saint Jerome stood at the edge of the monastery’s enclosure, with its main entrance accessible from outside and therefore open to lay people. It is also known that there was a small cemetery around the chapel, which was subsequently decommissioned.

At the request of Isabel, wife of Infante Duarte, son of King Manuel I, those who visited the chapels within the enclosure were granted the same privileges and remissions as pilgrims visiting the churches of Rome on the days of the Stations. The site thus acquired a sacred and symbolic significance equivalent to that already held by the monastery.

In the 19th century, following the dissolution of the religious orders, the Chapel of Saint Jerome was abandoned and the land within the enclosure was adapted to meet the subsistence needs of Casa Pia. The building was put to various uses and eventually served as a slaughterhouse. Later, in the 20th century, it was finally handed over to the Parish of Santa Maria de Belém.

The chapel is an example of the Manueline style, with a square plan and a body crowned by a substantial cordon, twisted pinnacles and gargoyles at the corners. The main doorway features Manueline emblems around its frame. Inside, the roof consists of a complex ribbed vault supported by four external “giants”, or buttresses, which serve a structural function. The single-nave interior is distinguished by the triumphal arch preceding the High Chapel. The latter has a 20th-century altar clad in sixteenth-century Sevillian tiles, originally belonging to the three altars that disappeared during restoration work carried out on the chapel. The most recent of these restorations dates from 1886, contemporary with the major works being undertaken at the Jerónimos Monastery at the time. On this occasion, alterations were made to adapt the chapel for public worship, including the opening of a doorway and a window beside the apse. The intervention is recorded by the date inscribed on the doorway lintel.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the side altars were removed and the wall where they had stood was cemented. In 1937–38, restoration work was carried out on the arches, together with general conservation and minor repairs. For the Portuguese World Exhibition in 1940, the surrounding area was landscaped. This work was revisited in 1955 as part of the Restelo Urban Development Plan, when a small forecourt was created, giving the chapel the scenographic appearance it has today. The following year, in 1956, landscape architect Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles began designing the hill surrounding the Hermitage of Saint Jerome. At the time, the windswept landscape was entirely devoid of vegetation, with completely open views. He transformed the area into a garden extending from the chapel forecourt, with large lawns interspersed with groves of olive and pine trees, providing privileged views over the Belém Tower and the mouth of the River Tagus.

Some authors have suggested that the Chapel of Saint Jerome may initially have had an additional, non-religious function. Given its elevated location and its characteristic flat-roofed terrace, it has been proposed that it may have served as a lookout post for monitoring the entrance to the Tagus estuary.

The chapel has been classified as a National Monument since 1943. The Intendant Pina Manique, founder of Casa Pia de Lisboa, was temporarily buried here.

A small chapel built at the beginning of the 16th century, probably in 1517, within the enclosure of the Jerónimos Monastery, it was rediscovered in the 1950s. The upper exterior is crowned with faceted pinnacles set on plinths, while the doorway is decorated on its inner face with vegetal motifs in relief and surmounted by an oculus.

Inside, the Manueline character predominates, with a complex ribbed vault resting on corbels and carved bosses decorated with royal emblems – the coat of arms, the Cross of the Order of Christ and the armillary sphere. The two existing benches are clad in azulejos de aresta dating from the first half of the 16th century, while figurative tile panels depicting religious scenes associated with the monks of Saint Jerome, installed on the dado, date from the 18th century.

A saint and Doctor of the Church, celebrated on 30 September, Saint Jerome is renowned for his translation of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, known as the “Vulgate”, meaning “popular”.

He was born in Stridon, in present-day Croatia. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but it is generally believed to have been around 347. Born into a wealthy Christian family, Jerome received a solid education and, with the support of his parents, completed his studies in Rome. Towards the end of this period, he embraced a worldly life and gave himself over to its pleasures. He later repented, sought Baptism and embarked upon a contemplative life.

He travelled to Aquileia, where he joined a community of ascetics, but eventually left, disappointed by the hostilities that had arisen within the group. He then decided to travel East. Before doing so, he travelled to Trier, passed through his native Stridon and continued to Antioch, where he remained for some time. There he deepened his knowledge of the Greek language. Following episodes of illness and the deaths of companions, Jerome experienced a revelatory vision that led him to withdraw as a hermit into the desert of Chalcis, south of Aleppo. For four years, he devoted himself entirely to study, learning Hebrew and transcribing the codices and writings of the Fathers of the Church. These were years of meditation, prayer and rigorous fasting, solitude and intense reading of the Word of God. Disappointed by disputes with the anchorites, caused by the Arian doctrine, he returned to Antioch, where he was ordained a priest in 379. In 382, Jerome went to Rome to attend a meeting convened by Pope Damasus I concerning the schism of Antioch. It is worth noting that this Pope was born in Idanha-a-Velha, in present-day Portugal. Jerome, renowned for his asceticism and scholarship, was chosen as Personal Secretary and Papal Adviser. It was at this time that Damasus invited him to produce a new Latin translation of the biblical texts and to revise the Psalter containing the “Book of Psalms”.

In August 385, Jerome definitively left Rome and returned to Antioch with several friends. Together with Saint Paula and Saint Eustochium, he travelled to the Holy Land as their spiritual adviser. The group made pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then travelled through Egypt before settling permanently in a hermit cell near Bethlehem, surrounded by several friends, both men and women, including Saints Paula and Eustochium, whom he served as priest and teacher. It was during this final period of his life that he produced his most important works, including the “Vulgate”. Saint Paula, his close friend and assistant in his studies and translation of the Bible, remained with him until his death near Bethlehem on 30 September 420.

Jerome was a polyglot, historian, philosopher and prolific writer of encyclopaedic spirit, and these qualities made him a celebrated figure in his time. He was also impetuous and often controversial and uncompromising. Hated by some and greatly loved by others, he was not always easy to engage in dialogue with. Nevertheless, he made an important contribution to Christianity through his example of life and his numerous writings.

In the 14th century, a group of hermits founded the Order of Saint Jerome, a Catholic religious order devoted to monastic enclosure and a purely contemplative way of life. Inspired by the lives of Saint Jerome and Saint Paula, they prescribed a life of solitude and silence, prayer and work.

The Order of Saint Jerome originated in Italy in the 14th century, during a period of great fervour within the eremitical movement. The Catholic Church was experiencing a period of crisis, with its credibility undermined by corruption and internal disputes that led to the Western Schism (1309–1377). At a time when many were turning away from spiritual life, the number of solitaries continued to grow, with Saint Jerome becoming their principal inspiration. Several groups of hermits thus emerged, all inspired by the austere figure of Saint Jerome. They sought to imitate the saint’s life both as a hermit and as a Christian intellectual.

One of the best-known of these hermits was Tommasucio da Foligno, a former member of the Third Order of Saint Francis. Following his death, some of his followers settled in Spain, came into contact with local eremitical movements and established the foundations of what would become the Order of Saint Jerome.

In 1373, the Bull Salvatoris Humanis Generis, issued by Gregory XI, officially established the Order of Saint Jerome in the Iberian Peninsula.

Among Tommasucio’s followers was a Portuguese man, Vasco Martins, who settled in Toledo. Following a dispute with the bishop of that city, he moved to Portugal and decided to establish a convent of hermits there. Seeking a secluded and peaceful location, he settled in the Serra de Sintra. In 1390, he signed the deed of purchase for Penha Longa, in Sintra, the site of the order’s first monastery in Portugal. A native of Leiria, he was the son of the noblemen D. Vasco Martins da Cunha and D. Beatriz de Albergaria. In April 1400, a second monastery was established: São Jerónimo do Mato, near Alenquer.

The Order’s growth in Portugal was initially very slow. During the first part of the 14th century, the Order had only these two monasteries, which survived through donations and royal patronage. The Hieronymite monasteries followed the Rule of Saint Augustine, embracing a contemplative vocation centred on prayer, study and a life inspired by the eremitical tradition.

Between 1446 and 1448, two further monasteries were established: the Monastery of São Marcos, in Coimbra, and the Monastery of Santa Maria do Espinheiro, in Évora.

It was, however, under King Manuel I that the Order’s establishment and consolidation would take place. From 1488 onwards, the Portuguese monasteries came under the direct authority of the Holy See. However, with the statutes of 1517 and the establishment of the Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém, it was decreed that the Provincial of the Order should also be the prior of this monastery.

The community consisted of ordained and lay friars. The ordained friars always took precedence over the lay brothers. A priest friar was elected by secret ballot as procurator, representing the monastery at the council.

The monasteries were predominantly home to sons of the lesser nobility and the middle classes. Before taking their vows, monks underwent private and public inquiries into their ancestry, life and conduct, known as inquirições de genere, vita et moribus. Religious professions could be made at any of the monasteries. The novitiate house was the monastery of Penha Longa.

In Portugal, the Order of Saint Jerome always insisted on maintaining its independence from Spain. During the succession crisis following the death of Cardinal-King Henry, the monks became divided between supporters of Philip and those of António, Prior of Crato. With the Iberian Union, King Philip I also sought to establish a religious union.

This union began to be dismantled in 1640 with the Restoration of Portuguese Independence. In 1658, Pope Alexander VII decreed that the Prior of Santa Maria de Belém should become Vicar General and govern the houses in Portugal. Full autonomy was only regained in 1668, with the Treaty of Lisbon, which brought the Restoration War to an end.

Monks were expected to be humble, pure, poor and detached from material possessions. All this was sustained by both liturgical and individual prayer. The Hieronymite monks did not have their own distinct spiritual doctrine; their spirituality revolved around the liturgy, Holy Scripture, the teaching of the Magisterium and the doctrine of the saints.

The religious of the Order of Saint Jerome, both monks and nuns, adopted a white habit, over which they wore a brown scapular and a hood of the same colour.

This Order, which became exclusively Iberian and closely associated with the ruling monarchies, came to an end in Portugal in 1833–34, following the dissolution of the religious orders. It continues to exist in Spain.

1 – “St Jerome in His Cell”, Avelar Rebelo, 1640–45, oil on canvas – (© Photograph – José Paulo Ruas/Mosteiro dos Jerónimos)
2 – “Arms of the Order of Saint Jerome (fragment)”, 18th century, gilded woodcarving with traces of polychromy – (© Photograph – Jorge Vila Nova/Mosteiro dos Jerónimos)
3 – Page from King Manuel’s Book of Hours

Jerónimos Monastery

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