Igreja de Santo António (Saint Anthony Church), Lisbon, Portugal

This is the Church of Santo Antonio, or Saint Anthony of Padua (Italy). Despite his name, the saint was born in Lisbon 1195 in what is now the crypt of this church. The site of the family house where Anthony was born was turned into a small chapel in the 15th century. This early building, from which nothing remains, was rebuilt in the early 16th century, during the reign of King Manuel I.

After long missionary pursuits, he settled in Padua (hence, his name). Due to his immense popularity, he was canonized less than a year after his death, in 1232.

St Vincent might be the official patron saint of the city but Anthony dwells in the hearts of all the people of Lisbon. He is the patron saint of lost things and he is also known as the matchmaker saint. On Saint Anthony's Day in June, mass weddings take place in the city's cathedral.

On May 12th 1982, Pope John Paul II visited the church and prayed in the crypt, which marks the spot where the saint was born.

Next to the church is a small museum about the life of the saint.

User Reviews

Rodica Mirlogeanu (16 months ago)

Ra Mie (16 months ago)
Nice church with a great history. According to the guide is St Antonio very famous in Lissanond because of his generosity. Pope John the second visited this place to.

Sathya Toro (17 months ago)
I'm not Catholic but this place is a must in Lisbon. Saint Anthony of Padua is not Padua, he born in Lisbon!!! In this church is the room where Santo Antonio was born. You can go in the room free! This small church has a good charming.

Cosie Silveira (2 years ago)
A peaceful and happy place to be. Pray in peace and you will find happiness there. I will love to visit again. Must see church.

Khurram Mir (2 years ago)
Tucked away and well worth the visit Do visit this cathedral as the ceiling is worth checking out. Good - We decided to embark on a tour based on a trip advisor review. We may have taken a wrong tour and ended up at the cathedral. The sight itself is really beautiful. There are a number of small chapels inside and the art work is really impressive. My favorite was the ceiling. It is absolutely stunning and made it worth our visit (see photograph). Bad - Watch out for traffic if you plan on walking here. The cathedral is situated in a corner and there is blind spot. Lookout for cars and trams coming at high-speed. There is no wheel chair/stroller ramp for disabled and families with infants/toddlers.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Polybert49

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Igreja de Santo António (Saint Anthony Church)

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