Belém Tower

As the architecture of the middle ages gradually changed into renaissance architecture, Portugal discovered the New World on the other side of the oceans. The incorporation of elements from the oversea cultures lead to a typical style called: the Manueline style, of which both the Tower of Belém and the Monastery of Jerónimos is a superb example. As a symbol of the King's prestige the tower’s decoration includes all the Manueline symbols - cables encircling the building and terminating in elegant knots, armillary spheres, crosses of the Military Order of Christ and naturalistic elements such as the rhinoceros, the first such representation in stone known in Europe. The Tower of Belém was build to defend Lisbon and its river entrance. Construction began in 1514 under supervision of Master Builder, Diogo de Boytac, also in charge of the building of the Jerónimos Monastery. This is also a reason for stylistic resemblance between the two buildings. Another major reason is the nineteenth century restoration of both buildings.