Island Tower
Posted by Doug in History, Travel at 4:56 pm Well after you have had a good nights sleep in one of the hotels Lisboa has to offer you really need to get over to the Belem Tower. It is also known as the Tower of St Vincent. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It represents the early maritime discoveries of the Portuguese. King John II commissioned this tower to be built as a part of the defense of the city but also as a gateway to Lisbon. What you will discover about this tower is that it was built with a variety of architectural styles but it is mainly a Portuguese Manueline style. It was built out of limestone for the most part and it stands about 100 feet tall, which is like four stories high. Originally the town was built on a small island near the shore of the Tagus River.
From the water the tower looks like a miniature castle. The Bastion terrace has some nice features with the virgin with child in the foreground and then the sloped roof and arches showing off the Renaissance loggia. The view from the inner cloister of the tower is beautiful as it peaks out to the sea and distant land. The bastion is one of my favorite areas to look at. It is an amazing casemate curving around and lights up with the natural lighting. Then the turrets and cupolas show the moorish style but with the Manueline cross.
It sure is amazing to feel the cool ocean air as it blows through the tower walls and windows. It take you back to the time of kings and Queens and the battles they entertained. King John II started this construction and King Manuel I finished it. It was designed by a military architect named Francisco de Arruda. The tower was dedicated to the beloved Saint Vincent. It was used as a fortress by Spanish troops as they fought for the Portuguese throne. It was also used as a political prison. If people were migrating to Lisbon they would come here first.
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