Church of São Roque | Igreja de São Roque

The Church of São Roque – Igreja de São Roque – is one of the earliest Jesuits churches, and one of the  few to escape the 1755 earthquake with less damage. It was handed over to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa shortly afterward, a charitable organization who promptly began reconstruction of the damaged areas. 

If you are at a loss for things to do, the Church of São Roque is a beautiful venue to explore with an architecture centuries old. The Jesuit church has an auditorium style design and has many chapels within the building. The most famous of these is the chapel of St. John the Baptist from the 18^th century. This chapel is said to be the most expensive one of its time, designed by Nicola Salvi and Luigi Vanvitelli and constructed in Rome it was later disassembled and shipped to Lisbon.

The interior decor has been introduced over decades starting in the 17^th century through to the 18^th century employing the differing styles of the period. The periods are as follows – Mannerist, early Baroque, later Baroque followed by Roman Baroque in the 1740s. During each period, this magnificent building has been the go-to place for contemporary design, and remains a holy-grail for aspiring designers today.

I have never actually been inside the Church of São Roque but its location is perfect for those wanting to explore the very best that lisbon has to offer! From here you are but a stone’s-throw away from Prícipe Real, Barrio Alto, Luís de Camões square, Chiado and much, much more!

Other Churches, Cathedrals and Monasteries in Lisbon:

There are churches & monasteries of all types – newest to the oldest, richest to the simplest to be seen and enjoyed on your visit to Lisbon. Here are but a few similar to the Church of São Roque.

• Basílica da Estrela: The first church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus worldwide is this beautiful and grandiose Lisbon church come cathedral .
• Mosteiro dos Jerónimos: It is a UNESCO world heritage site. The grand monastery is the resting place of many explorers and notables, like Vasco da Gama who had business relations with India.
• Convento da Ordem do Carmo: It is the sample ruins of the great earthquake of 1755 that is left untouched or reconstructed.
• Igreja da Santa Engrácia: You can experience the grandeur of a church that took an unusually long period for construction.
• Sé de Lisboa: It is the oldest church from 1147 built right after the Christian Reconquista. It is one of the simpler churches without lavish interiors and is dark and cavernous.
• Click here for some other fun things to do around Lisbon!