The Romanesque Santo Domingo Church was built in the late 12th century above a pre-existing church dedicated to San Tomé, although it was partially renovated in the following centuries, including the century transept and choir area, added in the 16th century when a Dominican convent was founded annexed to the church.
It has a façade with two orders of arcades at the sides of the portal, which is surmounted by a rose window. The portal has an elaborated archivolt with Biblical characters and scenes, including the 24 elders of the Apocalypse, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Youth, the Passion and the death of Christ. The tympanum has representations of the God the father sitting with the Child, four angels with the symbols of the Evangelists, the prophet Isaiah and the Virgin Mary. The capitals on the jambs of the entry feature biblical scenes from the Genesis and the life of Christ.
The interior is on the Latin cross plan with a nave and two aisles, covered by barrel vaults.
References:The Cathedral of Saint Mary Major, often called Lisbon Cathedral or simply the Sé, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Lisbon, Portugal. The oldest church in the city, it is the seat of the Patriarchate of Lisbon. The cathedral has survived many earthquakes and has been modified, renovated and restored several times. It is nowadays a mix of different architectural styles.
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.