Lisbon - Igreja de Santa Engrácia (Panteao)

 
Only since the middle of the 1960s has the dome of the Igreja de Santa Engrácia formed part of Lisbon's typical skyline. The church, one of the most striking in the city and visible from afar, has a long and complicated history.

An earlier church on this site dating from the 16th century and bearing the same name had to be torn down, as it was considered desecrated after a robbery in 1630. The deed was blamed on a Jew, who was executed, although it was later proved that he had nothing to do with the incident and that the only reason he had not spoken out about it was so that his love affair with a nun in the neighboring Santa Clara convent was not discovered.

Must-see attractions nearby:
The convicted man is supposed to have phrophesied that the building of a new church would never be finished as the blame for the theft had been laid on an innocent man. In fact it took about 300 years to complete the church (in Portugal any work whose completion takes a relatively long time is known as an "Obras de Santa Engrácia"; a Santa Engrácia work).

The first new building collapsed in 1681 - probably because of a storm's effect on a construction error.
Address: Igreja de Santa Engrácia / Panteao, Campo de Santa Clara, Lisbon , Portugal
Hours:
9am-1pm, 3pm-7pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Easter - Christian
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Transit: Tram: 3, 16, 24; Bus: 9, 12, 13A, 17, 25, 25A, 28, 35, 39, 46, 59, 81, 82, 90.

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The Panteao Nacional and the Alfama area in Lisbon.The Panteao Nacional and the Alfama area in Lisbon.
The Panteao at night in Lisbon.The Panteao at night in Lisbon.
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