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Lisbon Cathedral
The Lisbon Cathedral has many years of history and dates back to the 12th century when it was built by the first king of Portugal, Alfonso Henriques. He built the Lisbon Cathedral in 1147 on the site of an old mosque, after he had conquered the town to the Moors. Lisbon Cathedral is linked to the name of Saint Anthony, Lisbon's patron saint who is buried here. He is said to be the saint who helps people finding lost items.
Lisbon Cathedral (or Sé, as the Portuguese call it) is the only large building from central Lisbon that survived the severe 1755 earthquake. A big part of the Lisbon Cathedral was affected also by the following fire. A part of the cloister, the main chapel and a part of the tower fell down. The main chapel was rebuilt by King José, who ordered beautiful tombs for Dom Afonso IV and his wife, Dona Beatriz. After few years, the whole interior was redecorated in a neo-classic style.
Originally built in Romanic style, Lisbon Cathedral has Gothic and Barroque influences, the result of the 14th and 17th centuries’ enlargements. The interior of Lisbon Cathedral is austere and the exterior with the twin towers shows its age, although Sé was restored in the 20th century.
Some of Lisbon Cathedral interesting items are the crib made by Machado de Castro, a 18th century Portuguese sculptor responsible for the equestrian statue on Praça do Comércio, the 14th-century Lopo Fernandes Pacheco’s sarcophagus and the font where St. Anthony of Padua is said to have been christened in 1195. The Gothic cloister, built in the 14th century by King Dinis, is another interesting place to see when visiting Lisbon Cathedral.
Address: Largo da Sé, Lisbon, Portugal
Tel: 351 218 876 628
Fax: 351 218 866 752
Tram: 28 (Graça)
Bus: 37
Admission: Cathedral free; cloister 1.50 €
Hours to visit Lisbon Cathedral: Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday-Monday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | 
