Igreja-Museu São Roque: A Simple Church with a Richly Decorated Interior

The church and museum of So Roque in Bairro Alto complement each other to provide an absorbing cultural experience. The Jesuit Order founded So Roque in the late 16th century, and its bland and unassuming Renaissance façade belies a sumptuous interior, one of the most impressive of all Lisbon's religious sites. The church is celebrated for its series of side chapels, one of which, the Capela de So Joo Baptista, simply dazzles the onlooker with its ornate decoration, richly embellished with marble, azulejos, and gilded woodwork.

In 1742, King Joo V commissioned Italian architects Luigi Vanvitelli and Nicola Salvi to create a veritable jewel box, which was built in Rome and shipped all the way back to Lisbon. The intricate mosaic The Baptism of Christ by Mattia Moretti, completed in 1750, is adorned with amethyst, lapis lazuli, precious marbles, and inlaid with gold, silver, and ivory. Another chapel, the Capela de So Roque, contains the oldest and most striking azulejos, signed and dated 1584 by Francisco de Matos. Above all, there is a magnificent ceiling — the only painted ceiling from the Mannerism period in Lisbon.

The adjacent museum houses sacred art as well as the church's most valuable treasures, including those from the Chapel of St. John. The Shrine to So Roque, a series of early 16th-century panels depicting the saint's life, is a highlight. Spend time, however, looking for exquisite individual pieces, such as Saint Francis Xavier's reliquary casket made of pierced silver in Goa in 1686. A rare collection of 18th-century vestments adorned with silk and gold embroidery.

Address: Igreja de São Roque, Largo Trindade Coelho, 1200-470 Lisboa, Portugal
Timings: 10AM - 6PM
Phone: +351 21 323 5065
Google rating: 4.5/5

Website: https://mais.scml.pt/museu-saoroque/