Jeronimos Monastery Courtyard: Lisbon, Portugal
In 2007 I took this photo of the cloisters in the courtyard of the monastery of the Hieronymite monks in Lisbon.
Construction on the monastery began in 1502 but lasted for more than 50 years, so it actually exhibits at least three different styles of architecture: Manueline, Plateresco and Renaissance. As a result of the combination, the aesthetic is very interesting.
The monastery was built on the site of a hermitage Henry the Navigator had ordered to be built in 1450. That hermitage is where the legendary Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal before leaving for India. They were praying for a safe and successful journey, and as it turned out, their prayers were answered. Vasco da Gama and his crew went down in history as the commanders of the first ships to successfully sail from Europe to India.
Da Gama died in India in 1524, but his body was returned to Portugal. His tomb is in the Jeronimos Monastery, as well as the tomb of Luis de Camoes, who is widely considered to be Portugal’s greatest poet and whose talent is likened to that of England’s William Shakespeare.
