Sé Catedral (Cathedral of Lisbon)

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon's cathedral has a stark interior and differs from other European cathedrals in looking more like a castle.It was built over an old mosque and mixes the Romanesque and Gothic styles.

While in other cities the cathedral is the grandest religious monument, in Lisbon that honor actually goes to the Hieronymus Monastery or even Basilica da Estrela.

The site where it stands was the principal mosque of Lisbon when it was an Arab settlement. The construction of the cathedral started around 1150, three years after the city was conquered from the Moors during the Second Crusade. Shortly after the victory the English knight Gilbert of Hastings was named bishop of the city of Lisbon.

One good reason to visit the Cathedral is to visit its charming cloisters located in the back.There are several tombs in the cathedral, the most notable of which is the beautifully sculpted tomb of Lopo Fernandes Pacheco and his wife. He died in 1349 and was a knight of King D. Afonso IV.

Comments

Your name



Address

Largo da Sé, Lisbon, Portugal
See all sites in Lisbon

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Religious sites in Portugal

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Bret Bowman (11 months ago)
First of all, this place is NOT "free" like Google maps claims. But the entry fee is only €4, and probably worth a look around. It's an amazing structure. They have a balcony view from above the front door (under the circular stain glass window) out to the street. On the other side of the stain glass window is the balcony looking down been to the pews. When the organ is playing it sounds amazing from the balcony above (I guess it's the way the sound travels within the building). On the second floor is a fascinating treasury museum, but they don't allow you to take any pictures in that area, so I'm sorry I don't have any to include with my review. After visiting the upper levels, you can come down the stairs and walk around behind the front area. There are several shrine rooms with various religious displays. I think I spent maybe 45 minutes to an hour to see most of what was on display. And, as with most of the tourists sites, there's plenty of souvenir and food shops around and down the hill from this cathedral.
KB Raif MD (11 months ago)
Amazing how old this place is, built from 1100s to 1300s. Interesting museum of some catholic artifacts. Building is just so grand and impressive for its age. Location is great on the way to the castle , old moorish quarter and scenic overlook
Coralie Pattenden (13 months ago)
Beautiful building on the outside but nothing special on the inside. You have to pay to venture past the back pew. It was reasonably simply decorated and I'm sure there are more impressive churches elsewhere in Lisbon - certainly more impressive buildings.
Travel around the world Adhiya Ali (2 years ago)
The solid and imposing Se Cathedral is Lisbon’s most important and iconic religious building. Since the 12th century the Se Cathedral has been entwined in Portugal’s early history, which bore witness to the baptism, marriage and passing of Portugal’s nobility and elite. The exterior of the grand old church resembles more that of a fortification than religious centre, with massive solid walls and two imposing clock towers.
Jadiel Mendes (2 years ago)
This cathedral is better known as Sé de Lisboa, and it’s the oldest and most important church in the city. The Cathedral’s Gothic cloister is similar in style to the Jerónimos Monastery, although a little smaller. Inside the cloister, you’ll see several Roman, Arabic and Medieval remains, which have been excavated a few years ago. Schedule All the week: 9 am to 7pm. Cloister: 10 am to 6 pm (Sunday from 2 pm). May through September until 7 pm. Treasury: 10 am to 5 pm. Closed on Sunday. Price Cathedral: Free entrance. Cloister: € 2.50 Treasury: € 2.50 Cloister and treasury: € 4 Students: 50% discount. Children under 11: free
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.