Jerónimos Monastery (Lisbon)

A masterpiece of Manueline architecture, Jerónimos Monastery stands as one of Lisbon’s most iconic landmarks, classified a National Monument and listed as UNESCO World Heritage. Set along the banks of the Tejo in Belém, it forms a historic ensemble together with the Tower of Belém and the Centro Cultural de Belém, steeped in memory and grandeur. Commissioned by King Manuel I at the dawn of the 16th century, the monastery was built to honor Vasco da Gama’s voyage and to thank the Virgin Mary for Portugal’s Age of Discovery. Inside, the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões pay tribute to the nation’s seafaring epic, amid peaceful cloisters and softly lit interiors.