Belém Tower

About this place

This early 16th-century fortress guarded Lisbon's river approach and became a ceremonial landmark of Portugal's maritime and colonial expansion. Its carved limestone combines Manueline ornament with defensive features. Examine how a working fort was also designed to proclaim royal power to arriving ships. The building combines a low defensive bastion with a taller tower, bringing military and ceremonial functions into one composition. Local limestone gives its carved details their characteristic appearance. Seen from the riverside, it also invites reflection on the voyages, commercial networks and colonial power that became associated with Belém.