The Tower of Belém

Since the 16th century, a small fortress has stood in the mouth of the River Tagus in the Lisbon district of Belém. It was built together with other fortresses to protect the mouth of the Tagus and the former harbour of Restelo. The tower of this fortress is dedicated to Saint Vincent and was built in the late Gothic style. Its façade has elements from the early Renaissance as well as Arabic and Indian influences.

In 1580, Lisbon was occupied by Spanish troops for 60 years. At that time, the tower served as a prison and armoury. It is the only structure in the mouth of the Tagus that survived a severe earthquake in 1755. But at the beginning of the 19th century, the tower was destroyed by Napoleon’s troops. A few years later, it was rebuilt true to the original and used as a lighthouse from 1865. Together with the nearby Jeronimos Monastery, the Tower of Belém has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. It is one of the most visited sights in Lisbon and may only be entered by 150 visitors at a time.

On the four floors of the tower there were a governor’s room, the King’s Hall, a reception hall and a chapel. The upper viewing platform is 35 metres high. On the lower platform, a large statue of the Virgin Mary welcomes the returning sailors. The King’s Hall has an ornate loggia with a view of the sea. There are arrow slits in its floor. Because of the acoustics in the King’s Hall, in one corner of the hall, one can hear what is being whispered in the opposite corner. This was of great advantage to the king because he could hear every conversation at his banquets.

According to legend, a curious event occurred near the tower in the 16th century. According to the story, the king was presented with animals by sailors who had brought them back from their travels: a rhinoceros and an elephant. In order to find out which animal was stronger, they had them fight each other. The elephant, however, ran away. They concluded that the rhinoceros was superior. A small carved rhinoceros on the west façade of the Tower of Belém commemorates this event.