The Memoria Church is a smaller place of worship in Lisbon, but given its historical background, as well as the architectural merits, it is well worth a visit. The church was built in 1760 in the memory of King Jose’s survival from an assassination attempt plotted two years earlier, in 1758, on the very site of the incident.

The chief architect in charge with designing the edifice was Giovanni Carlo Sicinio Galli Bibiena (an Italian architect), but he did not manage to complete the work he was commissioned for, given the construction works ceased in 1762 from pecuniary reasons. The works were resumed, however, in 1779, and the plans of the original architect were carried out by Mateus Vicente de Oliveira, the contribution of whom comes down to having designed the cupola and the lantern, the top floor of the edifice and the dome.

The result of these two architects’ work is the present neoclassical church striking by its discreet elegance. The most important highlight is the tomb of Marques de Pombal, an important 18th century figure of Lisbon, retained by the local history for having rebuilt the city subsequently to the 1755 earthquake.

Name:
Memoria Church (Igreja da Memoria)
Address:
Calcada do Galvao, Lisbon, Portugal
Opening hours:
daily (except Sundays): 4pm to 6pm
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