During the 16th century, Lisbon played a prominent role in international
trade. Because of the established sea routes it became a natural port
of call, and King João II devised a plan to protect the city by building
three fortresses on the Tagus to form a triangular defence. The king
died in 1495, and the building of the tower in the Belém district was
left to his successor, Manuel II. Dedicated to the patron saint of the
city, St. Vincent, the tower was designed by the architect Francisco de
Arruda, recently returned from North Africa, and work was completed in
1520.
Francisco de Arruda's Moorish leanings can be seen in the
tower's decorative features. In honour of the king, the tower also
includes Manueline motifs - carved rope; armillary spheres; and crosses
of the Military Order of Christ. The structure comprises the bastion,
and the four-storey tower. The bastion housed the cannons and was the
first Portuguese fortification to include a two-level gun emplacement.
Gaps in the 3.5m (11.5ft) thick walls accommodated 17 large-calibre
cannons, while a platform was used to site light-calibre guns.
The tower, 35m (115ft) high, included storage for gunpowder at the
lowest level, with the commander's accommodation above. The second
storey is flanked by balconies on all sides, while moving upwards there
are first a chapel, and then an oratory at the top.
With the
passage of time and the construction of more modern fortifications along
the Tagus, the Belem Tower lost its prime function of defence and took
on roles as a prison, customs post, telegraph office and lighthouse.
Constructed as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon, and as part of a
defence system at the entrance of the Tagus river, the 35m (715ft) high
tower stands behind the bastion, with its vaulted casemate (gun
emplacement), facing the river it was to protect, and providing a beacon
for vessels at night.
The façade is highly ornate, displaying Manueline motifs, including
shields bearing the Cross of the Order of Christ on the crenetlations of
the walls, and on the covered balconies of each wall on the second
storey.
The corners of the bastion, and the topmost story of the tower, have
delicate guerites (turrets) topped by Moorish cupoloas. The base of the
turrets have images of beasts. A loggia on the first story overlooks the
bastion, while a terrace surrounding the third storey provides stunning
views of the landscape.
The tower was built in the early 16th
century, during the Age of Discovery, as part of a three-fortress plan
to protect the city of Lisbon and its harbour. Constructed in the
Portuguese late
Gothic style, the Manueline, it originally stood on an island in the
River · Tagus - although the river has since changed course. · Often
used as a symbol of Lisbon and of Portugal’s past glories, the tower is
now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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