Graça Convent () is one of the oldest
convent
A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community.
The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
s in
Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
. It is located in Largo da Graça, in the parish of
São Vicente, on Lisbon's highest hill. It faces a belvedere overlooking the city and the
Tagus River
The Tagus ( ; ; ) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales between Cuenca and Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally westward, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon.
Name
T ...
. It belonged to the
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of Saint Augustine (), abbreviated OSA, is a mendicant order, mendicant catholic religious order, religious order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who ...
Hermits and at one time served as their headquarters in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
.
History
Founded in 1271, at Monte de São Gens, Almofala, the convent was sponsored by
Afonso III of Portugal
Afonso IIIrare English alternatives: ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', or ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese), ''Alfonso'' or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician languages, Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin). (; 5 May 121016 February 1279), ca ...
. By 1551 the convent had 13 chapels. On 18 May 1566, the remains of
Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa ( – 16 December 1515), was a Portuguese general, admiral, statesman and ''conquistador''. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across ...
were buried in the chapel.
Francisco de Saldanha da Gama
D. Francisco I de Saldanha da Gama (20 May 1723 – 1 November 1776) was the third Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon.
Life
He was the great-grandson of Margarida de Vilhena and a descendant of the first viscount of Vila Nova de Cerveira, Leonel ...
and
Fernando de Sousa e Silva
Fernando de Sousa da Silva ( 27 November 1712 - 11 April 1786) was the fourth Patriarch of Lisbon, being elected in December 1776, and consecrated on 30 May 1779. He was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Pius VI in the secret Papal consistory ...
are also buried at Graça.
The convent was rebuilt in the 16th century and restored after the 1755 earthquake and again in the 21st century. It is classified as a National Monument of Portugal.
In 2023, the bell tower of the gatehouse was opened as a viewing platform for paying members of the public. The rooftop terrace is accessible through the convent.
Igreja e Convento da Graça: Visiting Graça Church and Convent
rotaportugal.com. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
See also
*Procession of Our Lord of the Passion of Graça
The Procession of Our Lord of the Passion of Graça (), alternatively, the Procession of Our Lord of the Stations of the Cross of Graça) is one of the oldest and most important religious processions, which takes place yearly in the city of Lisbon, ...
References
{{Coord, display=title
Churches in Lisbon
13th-century establishments in Portugal