Paid for by spices
Construction began in 1501, soon after Vasco da Gama returned from India, and was funded largely by a tax on the spices arriving from the East.
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Jerónimos Monastery: the history, and the cloister paid for by pepper
The great monument of Portugal's Age of Discoveries, funded by the spice trade and home to the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões. Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for when you get there.
Begun1501
Founded byKing Manuel I
StyleManueline
UNESCOWorld Heritage, 1983
Hear the Jerónimos Monastery story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
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Monks who prayed for sailors
The Hieronymite monks who lived here prayed for the crews setting out from the Restelo beach nearby on their long voyages.
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Two national heroes
Inside the church are the tombs of Vasco da Gama and of Luís de Camões, the poet who told the story of da Gama's voyage in The Lusiads.
TipThe church is free to enter; the cloister needs a ticket, and it's the part not to miss. With Urban Tales running, the monastery's story plays as you reach the façade.
Nearby landmarks
Jerónimos Monastery: common questions
Who is buried in the Jerónimos Monastery?
Vasco da Gama and the poet Luís de Camões have tombs in the church, alongside kings of the Avis dynasty, including Manuel I.
Why was the Jerónimos Monastery built?
King Manuel I founded it to celebrate Portugal's sea voyages; the building began in 1501, after Vasco da Gama's return from India.
Did the Jerónimos Monastery survive the 1755 earthquake?
Yes, it came through with little damage, one of the few great buildings in Lisbon that did.