Cloisters Of Monastery dos Jeronimos, Lisbon, Portugal

Constructed 500 years ago you know you are visiting something very, very special as you walk the cloisters of the Monastery dos Jeronimos. The detailing on the stonework is amazing with arched ceilings on two levels. This is a place where you need time for it all to sink in to see the intricate carving on each piece of stone.

How many feet have walked the same route over the past 500 years, it has to be in millions. In the summer months it can become very crowded, but visit on a January afternoon and you have the quietness without the crowds to savour the views before you.

History.
The Jeronimos Monastery is the most impressive symbol of Portugal’s power and wealth during the Age of Discovery. King Manuel I built it in 1502 on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal in prayer before leaving for India. It was built to commemorate Vasco Da Gama’s voyage and to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for its success. Vasco da Gama’s tomb was placed inside by the entrance, as was the tomb of poet Luis de Camoes, author of the epic The Lusiads in which he glorifies the triumphs of Da Gama and his compatriots. Other great figures in Portuguese history are also entombed here, like King Manuel and King Sebastiao, and poets Fernando Pessoa and Alexandre Herculano.
The monastery was populated by monks of the Order of Saint Jerome (Hieronymites), whose spiritual job was to give guidance to sailors and pray for the king’s soul. It is one of the great triumphs of European Gothic (UNESCO has classified it a World Heritage monument), with much of the design characterized by elaborate sculptural details and maritime motifs. This style of architecture became known as Manueline, a style of art that served to glorify the great discoveries of the age.
The cloisters are magnificent, each column differently carved with coils of rope, sea monsters, coral, and other sea motifs evocative of that time of world exploration at sea. Here is also the entrance to the former refectory that has beautiful reticulated vaulting and tile decoration on the walls depicting the Biblical story of Joseph.
The church interior is spacious with octagonal piers richly decorated with reliefs, and outside is a garden laid out in 1940 consisting of hedges cut in the shape of various municipal coats of arms of Portugal. In the center is a large fountain also decorated with coats of arms, often illuminated on special occasions.

Canon 5D Mkii. Canon 17-40 F4L USM
Cloisters At The Monastery

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