Torre de Belém

Torre de Belém

Located in the parish of Belém and on the right bank of the Tagus River, the Torre de Belém was built between 1514 and 1519 with the initial military defense function of Barra do Tejo.

Initially totally surrounded by the river waters, over the centuries it was being surrounded by the beach until it is now incorporated on land. However, it is still possible to see it surrounded by the Tagus River when the water level is higher. This monument features Islamic and Oriental influences, which characterize the Manueline style and mark the end of the medieval tradition.

Nowadays the Torre de Belém no longer has a military function, but a cultural one. In it we can visit, in its four floors, the Room of the Governor, the Hall of the Kings, the Audience Hall and the Chapel with its vaulted fifth. Part of its beauty is also in its exterior, since it is all surrounded by decorations of the Coat of Arms of Portugal, including inscriptions of the crosses of the Order of Christ in the bulwark windows.

In 1983, the Torre de Belém was classified as a World Heritage Site, and in 2007 it was elected as one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.