Can't live without music. Rock, Pop, Electronic, Alternative, Independent, etc, as long as it's good...
Can't live without music. Rock, Pop, Electronic, Alternative, Independent, etc, as long as it's good! I love reading, sports and photography as well! I'm portuguese, so sorry for my not so perfect English.
Member since:19.07.2006
Reviews:34
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The "Torre de Belém" (or "Belém Tower" in English), was built in1514, by decision of the Portuguese King D. Joao II. The construction was finished 6 years later, in1520 and that new facility was immediately used for controlling and defending the entrance of Lisbon through the river. The initial plan was to build 3 towers similar to this, one at the opposite side of the Tagus river and another one on the same side but a little closer to the Atlantic Ocean (closer to Cascais), allowing a powerful cross fire that would eventually avoid any attempt of an assault to the city and its surroundings. As the other 2 towers never got to be built, small fortifications were made to replace them, although neither of them can be compared with the size or the beauty of the "Torre de Belém". The main reason for this change of plans was probably the time took to build and the costs of such an enterprise. Once those two small fortifications were not enough to substitute the two planed towers the King decided to build a "Nau" (a big ship of Portuguese design and construction, commonly used during the "Descobertas - Discoveries") heavily armed, that would work as a mobile defending unit. During its life until these days, the Tower was used for many different things. During the Spanish ruling period between 1580-1640 its dungeons were used as a political prison, between 1808/14 during the French invasions it received the French soldiers and later it was used as a lighthouse. The Tower resisted to the 1755 earthquake that tare Lisbon apart and the tsunami that came with it. When the Tower was built it was not as close of the shore as it is nowadays, that's the result of a redesign of the shoreline on that area, back in 1940. In 1983 UNESCO classified it as "Cultural World Heritage"
The "Torre de Belém" is in a very pleasant and beautiful part of Lisbon. Close to the river, you'll find nice gardens and other interest sightings around it. I recommend a visit to CCB (it's a cultural building with theaters, and museums, such as the Design Museum), the "Mosteiro dos Jerónimos" a magnificent Church that once was a monastery, "Museu dos Coches" it's a beautiful old chariots museum, and "Pasteis de Belém" were you can eat stupendous custard tarts (there are 2 reviews about it), and "Padrao dos Descobrimentos" a newer tower built to commemorate the Portuguese discoveries where you can admire a great city sight.
I recommend a full day to Belém, you won't regret it!
Visiting it:
From October to April it's open from 10 AM to 5 PM. From May to September it's open from 10 AM to 6:30 PM
Last entrance 30 minutes before closure time.
It's closed every Monday and in national holidays (January1st, April1st, April 25th and Easter Sunday)
Transportation:
You have buses nş 27, 28, 29, 43, 49, 51, Tram nş 15 and the Train from Cascais to Lisboa that makes a stop at Belém (not all of them, ask were you buy the ticket or some passenger).
For further information:
Tel: 351 21 362 00 34
torrebelem@mosteirojeronimos.pt
Pictures of Torre de Belém
Torre de Belém
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Good review...................................................(-: Darko
koshkha 23.07.2006 20:28
This has been on my list of things to write about for a while but I could never get enough enthusiasm to do it. I'm glad you've done such a good job so I won't have to write one!
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