Belém Tower Audio Guide

Belém Tower: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Torre de Belém

   Welcome to Torre de Belém, standing at the edge of the River Tagus in Lisbon, along Avenida de Brasília. Take a moment to look at it before you go any further. It is not a huge building, yet it has become one of the images people most readily connect with both Lisbon and Portugal. This is a national monument and a World Heritage site. It is tied, in history and in art, to the nearby Jerónimos Monastery and to the Portuguese Discoveries. It was raised in the early sixteenth century, when ships were leaving this river for the far side of the world. In the stories ahead, we will look at why it was built, how it was designed, and the surprising jobs it took on over the centuries. It also rests on a rocky base, and that base is part of the tale. Let's begin with the problem this tower was meant to solve: how to guard a capital whose lifeblood was the sea.

2. 02

   A Defense Plan for the Tagus

   Protecting Lisbon and its river mouth became a real necessity in the era of the Discoveries. King João the Second, who lived from 1455 to 1495, came up with an innovative plan. It was a three-part defense formed by the bulwark at Cascais, the fortress of São Sebastião da Caparica on the opposite bank, and a third fortress, the Torre de Belém. The idea was crossfire. With defenses on both sides of the river, guns could cover the passage between them, and enemy ships would find it very hard to enter. But João the Second died before the third piece could be built. The task fell to his successor, King Manuel the First. Construction began in 1514. Accounts give the end of the works as 1519 or 1520. Manuel entrusted the design and the direction of the works to Francisco de Arruda, an architect experienced in defensive structures. The tower was dedicated to Saint Vincent, but from early on people simply called it the Tower of Belém.

3. 03

   Two Buildings in One

   Now let's read the architecture, because the tower is really two kinds of military building joined together. One is the tall tower, in the manner of a keep, with a medieval character. The other is the bulwark, a modern military device made for artillery. Together they show a moment of transition, with the defensive ideas of the Middle Ages meeting those of the Renaissance. Then comes the decoration. The tower is considered one of the finest examples of the Manueline style, the ornate Portuguese style of its time, and it also has distinctive Moorish touches, such as the richly decorated turrets. So a fortress that was meant to fight is dressed with real delicacy. And here is a detail about its setting. The tower stands on a basalt outcrop. Writing in the sixteenth century, the chronicler Damião de Góis described it as founded within the water, to guard the monastery and the port of Lisbon. He also noted that although the building is not large, its structure is magnificent.

4. 04

   Prison, Myths and Rescue

   Beyond defending Lisbon, the tower also served as a state prison. Opponents of political power were held here, mainly during the reigns of Filipe the First of Portugal, João the Fourth, and José. The same walls that watched for enemy ships also held people who had fallen foul of the crown. The tower was never a finished idea. In 1571, Francisco de Holanda advised the king that the coastal defenses had to be improved to protect the capital. Suggestions like that kept coming, and over the centuries the tower was fortified further to make it a stronger coastal artillery battery. There is also a popular story you may hear: that the tower was built in the middle of the river and now sits near the shore because the 1755 earthquake redirected the Tagus. That is not right. The Portuguese heritage authorities indicate it was built on a small island close to the bank. In more recent times, a three-year project beginning in 1953 and led by the landscape architect António Viana Barreto integrated the tower with the shoreline. In 1983 the site hosted a European exhibition on art, science and culture, and the cloister was covered with a transparent plastic cupola. A full restoration followed in 1997 and 1998.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   In 1983, the Torre de Belém was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list together with the Jerónimos Monastery. It is recognition of its historical and symbolic value, and a reminder that these two monuments belong to the same story of Lisbon and the Discoveries. Before you move on, try a little experiment. Look at the tower and see if you can pick out the tall medieval-style keep and the low bulwark that sits like a platform beneath it. Then let your eye climb to the turrets and their decoration. Once you can see two buildings in one, you will not unsee them. Getting around is straightforward. Belém railway station is nearby, and the urban bus 714 has a stop close to the tower. Several other lines stop beside the Jerónimos Monastery, within walking distance. The monastery is the natural next chapter, and there is much more to discover about the king, the voyages and the river that shaped this whole district.