Santo Amaro Chapel

Located on top of a hill consisting of residential areas from diverse periods and of diverse types, e.g. collective housing and individual houses, this building is unique in Lisbon, both for its exceptional views of the River Tagus and the centralised plan of the architect, who also designed the cloister in the Convent of Christ in Tomar. The semi-circular galilee, with its vaulted ceilings and walls clad in late-Mannerist azulejo tiles, marks the entrance. Altars flank the window spans and polychromatic panels – featuring patterned azulejos, figurative drawings and foliage designs – cover the walls. Given an Italy-inspired treatment, the erudition of the spatial and geometric composition places the cylindrical prayer space in the centre, underneath a dome and simple skylight. The religious consecration of this chapel was interrupted during the First Republic in Portugal to serve as a coal deposit.