Belém Tower
Belém Tower (Portuguese: Torre de Belém, pronounced [ˈtoʁɨ ðɨ βɨˈlɐ̃j]; literally: Bethlehem Tower), officially the Tower of Saint Vincent (Portuguese: Torre de São Vicente) is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. This tower symbolizes Portugal's maritime and colonial power in early modern Europe. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance, and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style, but it also incorporates other architectural styles, such as the minarets, which are inspired by Moorish architecture. The structure was built from lioz limestone and is composed of a bastion and a 30-metre (100 ft), four-storey tower.
Torre de Belém, Torre de São Vicente | |
The quarter façade of the tower on the bank of the Tagus river | |
| 38°41′30″N 9°12′58″W | |
| Location | Lisbon, Portugal |
|---|---|
| Designer | Francisco de Arruda |
| Type | Fortification |
| Material | Limestone (lioz) |
| Visitors | 377.780 visitors (2022) |
| Beginning date | c. 1514 |
| Completion date | 1519 |
| Website | www |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Part of | Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon |
| Criteria | Cultural: iii, vi |
| Reference | 263bis |
| Inscription | 1983 (7th Session) |
Portuguese National Monument | |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | National Monument |
| Designated | 10 January 1907 |
| Reference no. | IPA.00004065 |
Since 1983, the tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Jerónimos Monastery. It is often portrayed as a symbol of Europe's Age of Discoveries and as a metonym for Portugal or Lisbon, given its landmark status. It has incorrectly been stated that the tower was built in the middle of the Tagus and now sits near the shore because the river was redirected after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. In fact, the tower was built on a small island in the Tagus river near the Lisbon shore.