Category: Religious Architecture > Convent
District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > Santa Maria Maior
The convent was founded in 1217 by Friar Zacarias, one of the first Franciscans to arrive in Portugal, coming from Assisi. He obtained permission from King D. Afonso II to build the convent in Lisbon.
The convent was built on Monte Fragoso, an uninhabited area at the time, overlooking the Tagus River, where Largo do Corpo Santo is located today.
It was the fourth convent to be built in Lisbon after the city was conquered by D. Afonso Henriques in 1147. Its large size led the people to call it the "City of São Francisco".
It was expanded in 1246 and integrated into the city during the construction of the Fernandina Wall, which protected Lisbon with 77 towers. This wall played a crucial role during the siege of 1383-1385.
The convent had its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries, when it was rebuilt in 1528. It served as a convent, hostel, hospital and was an important place for meetings of the country's Cortes (parliament).
It suffered two major fires in 1708 and 1741. In 1755, the earthquake and subsequent fire completely destroyed the convent, resulting in the loss of many works of art and human lives.
After the earthquake, a new church was begun to be rebuilt, but the work was not completed before the extinction of the religious orders in 1834.
After 1834, the convent housed the National Library of Portugal and the Academy of Fine Arts. Its Ionic columns were reused on the facade of the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II and the Polytechnic School.
The Escola Superior de Belas-Artes (School of Fine Arts) was installed on the site of the old convent and continues to occupy part of the convent areas since the transfer of the National Library in 1965.
Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convento_de_São_Francisco_da_Cidade
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.70884586042652,-9.140260499900387
Coordinates DMS: 38°42'31.8"N 09°08'24.9"W
Weather Lisboa
On-duty Pharmacy Lisboa
