Restaurants, bars and museums in Lisbon · Page 4

Igreja de São Domingos

Mouraria

Churches & Religious Sites

Igreja de São Domingos is a Roman Catholic church on Largo de São Domingos, 1169-060 Lisboa, in the Mouraria neighbourhood. It stands just off Rossio Square and is classified as a National Monument. The church opens every day from 07:30 to 19:00, and admission is free. The nearest metro station is Rossio, on the green line, and the Santa Justa Elevator and the Rua Augusta Arch are within walking distance. The building has a long and sometimes grim past. It was dedicated in 1241, and Visit Lisboa credits King Sancho II with building it in the 13th century. At one time it was the largest church in Lisbon, and before the Portuguese republic was established in 1910 it typically hosted royal weddings. The São Domingos Convent stood on the site before the 1755 earthquake, and the Inquisition read out its sentences from there. People condemned for heresy by the Inquisition's neighbouring palace were taken out to be publicly executed in Rossio. In 1761 the Jesuit missionary Gabriel Malagrida was executed at the church after being accused of treason. In 1506, during Holy Week, a mob killed people accused of secretly being Jewish in the church and its square. A monument at the centre of the square now remembers them, facing a faded mural with the words "Lisbon, City of Tolerance" in 34 languages. The square is also a meeting point for the city's African community, since the church once had a black priest. Disaster struck the building more than once. An earthquake in 1531 damaged it and the 1755 earthquake almost completely destroyed it; rebuilding began quickly but was not finished until 1807. On 13 August 1959 a fire broke out just after dawn near the high altar. More than 100 firefighters attended, the roof collapsed, and two firefighters died. The blaze took over six hours to put out and gutted the church, destroying paintings, statues, the pipe organ and a 17th century image of Our Lady of the Rosary. The church reopened in 1994, and the restoration kept many traces of the fire. Scorched pillars and cracked stone slabs remain, and the chancel and its sculptures were never restored. The high altar has red marble columns supporting a sculptural composition of the Holy Trinity, and the high chapel was designed by the architect Ludovice. The sacristy long held the remains of King Afonso III before they were moved to Alcobaça. Art from other churches was brought here after the fire.

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