LISBON, THE CITY OF THE FRIENDLY BAY 



551 



The whole locality 

 is historic ground, 

 bound up with the 

 early discoveries and 

 development of 

 America, Asia, and 

 Africa. From this 

 immediate shore 

 sailed Vasco da 

 Gama Bartholomeu 

 Diaz, Affonso d'Al- 

 buquerque, and the 

 conquerors of the 

 Orient. 



Henry the Navi- 

 gator had his chapel 

 and laboratory in a 

 little hermitage near 

 this beach. The re- 

 turn of da Gama 

 from India in 1499 

 was a triumph for 

 the kingdom, and 

 to immortalize the 

 event, Manuel I 

 erected the superb 

 monastery of St. Je- 

 rome on the site of 

 Prince Henry's 

 chapel -hermit age. 

 The locality, previ- 

 ously known as Res- 

 tello, was then re- 

 named Belem or 

 Bethlehem. 



The first stone was 

 laid by the king in 

 the year 1 500. From 

 the quarries of Estre- 

 madura came the 

 white stone which, 

 after four centuries, 

 even in its most deli- 

 cate carvings shows no sign of wear or 

 weathering. Built on cedar piling, the 

 edifice has withstood the shock of earth- 

 quakes during all these years. 



THE) ARCHITECTURAL, GEM OF PORTUGAL 



The south door of the church is a re- 

 markable example of rich carving in the 

 Manueline style. It is not only orna- 

 mental from an architectural viewpoint, 

 but it is a chapter from the history of 

 Portugal carved in stone. The door is 

 divided by a column supporting the effigy 



Photograph by A. W. Cutler 



THE ENTRANCE TO THE OLD MONASTERY ADJOINING THE 

 CHURCH OE SANTA MARIA 



Occupying the site of a seamen's home, this former convent was 

 founded by Henry the Navigator in fulfillment of a vow to erect a 

 convent to the Virgin if Vasco da Gama's enterprise should prove suc- 

 cessful. 



of Vasco da Gama. At the right and left 

 are the twelve Apostles, and above the 

 door is the Virgin with twelve saints, 

 while above all and watching over them is 

 the archangel Michael. All these figures 

 are most delicately carved (see page 549). 

 Inside, the richly carved stone columns 

 splay out into lacy fan vaulting, and 

 several elaborate altars inlaid with silver 

 and gold from Brazil and India give dis- 

 tinction to the plain choir and crossing. 

 An organ of peculiar richness, with its 

 pipes enclosed in wood carving of superb 



