{"id":46755,"date":"2023-01-31T11:56:27","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T11:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lisbonsightsailing.com\/pontos-de-interesse\/national-pantheon\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T14:49:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T14:49:10","slug":"national-pantheon","status":"publish","type":"vistas","link":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/vistas\/national-pantheon\/","title":{"rendered":"National Pantheon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The National Pantheon, also known as the Church of Santa Engr\u00e1cia, is one of the main tourist attractions in Lisbon, located in\u00a0Alfama<\/a> disctrict. It certainly is an important architectural attraction in the city, with a rich history and stunning panoramic views.

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Its history dates back to the 16th century, when it was built as a church dedicated to Santa Engr\u00e1cia. The Baroque project, begun in 1682 by architect Jo\u00e3o Antunes, presented challenges over the centuries, remaining unfinished until the 1960s, giving rise to the popular Portuguese expression \u201cobras de Santa Engr\u00e1cia\u201d (works of Santa Engr\u00e1cia), used to describe something that seems to never end. During this period, the building was even used as a military arsenal due to its strategic location.<\/p>\n\n

The Pantheon was adapted by the Estado Novo regime to honor great Portuguese figures. The central dome, over 80 meters high, dominates the cityscape and offers visitors a 360-degree view of Lisbon, the Tagus River, Alfama, and the Monastery of S\u00e3o Vicente de Fora. Access to the terrace is via stairs, while the famous lioz stone used in the walls and pillars gives the building the same elegance as monuments such as the Jer\u00f3nimos Monastery.<\/p>\n\n

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National Pantheon seen from the Monastery of S. Vicente de Fora<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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The imposing appearance and unique character of the work justify its classification as a National Monument<\/a> and legitimize its choice to house the remains of exceptional Portuguese people. One of the main attractions of the National Pantheon is its crypt, where some of Portugal’s most important personalities are buried, including writers, artists, scientists and politicians. It is an excellent opportunity to discover the history and culture of Portugal.

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Main facade of the National Pantheon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Features<\/h2>\n\n

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The main fa\u00e7ade of the church perfectly reconciles the novelty of Italian Baroque with the most notable and significant architectural practice in Portugal. In the national coat of arms that tops the rich central portal, we find explicit the national character of the church that was present both in the founding of the first parish and later in the reconstruction of the temple by the Brotherhood.<\/p>\n\n

The dynamics of the monument’s forms are integrated into a privileged location on one of the city’s hills facing the river. The temple stands out in the panorama of Lisbon as a great bulwark. Finally, its terrace offers visitors a breathtaking view of the capital and the Tagus.<\/p>\n\n

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Did you know that…<\/h2>\n\n

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  • Was architect Jo\u00e3o Antunes one of the most prominent figures of Portuguese Baroque architecture?<\/strong> He was the designer of the original plans for the Santa Engr\u00e1cia temple and the Church of Bom Jesus in Barcelos.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Although the building was completed in the 1960s, the church’s pipe organ<\/strong> \u2014 built in the French Baroque style \u2014 was only installed decades later, contributing to concerts and cultural events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Was the Pantheon once a religious space, but also a military one?<\/strong> During its long and unfinished history, the building was even used as a military arsenal, given its state of abandonment and strategic location.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Is it possible to climb to the top of the dome to enjoy one of the best panoramic views of Lisbon?<\/strong> Access to the terrace is via stairs and offers a 360-degree view of the city, the Tagus River, and the Alfama district.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Was the famous lioz stone used during construction?<\/strong> This type of limestone, typical of the Lisbon region, is visible on the walls and pillars of the Pantheon, and was also used in monuments such as the Jer\u00f3nimos Monastery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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    Personalities Buried in the National Pantheon<\/h2>\n\n

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    The National Pantheon pays tribute to great figures from Portugal’s history. Among those buried here are:<\/p>\n\n

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    • Am\u00e1lia Rodrigues<\/strong> \u2013 Fado singer<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Humberto Delgado<\/strong> \u2013 General and opponent of the Salazar regime<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Te\u00f3filo Braga<\/strong> \u2013 Writer and President of the Republic<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen<\/strong> \u2013 Poet<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Manuel de Arriaga<\/strong> \u2013 First elected president of the Republic<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Jo\u00e3o de Deus<\/strong> \u2013 Educator and author of the reading teaching method<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

      In addition to those buried here, there are cenotaphs<\/strong> of other figures such as Lu\u00eds de Cam\u00f5es, Vasco da Gama, and Pedro \u00c1lvares Cabral<\/strong>, whose actual burial place is uncertain or located in other monuments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Four hundred years of construction were worth the popular saying \u201cWorks of Santa Engracia\u201d to the monument that is now the National Pantheon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":46543,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[390],"tags":[1394,1009,1093,1095,1050,1395,1094,1034],"localidade":[],"class_list":["post-46755","vistas","type-vistas","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sights","tag-barco-en-3","tag-catamaran-en","tag-lisboa-en","tag-rio-en","tag-sailing-boat","tag-tejo-en-2","tag-passeio-en","tag-yacht"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vistas\/46755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vistas"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/vistas"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vistas\/46755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46755"},{"taxonomy":"localidade","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpml.lisbonsightsailing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/localidade?post=46755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}