Igreja de São Roque, Jesuit church in Santa Maria Maior, Portugal.
Igreja de São Roque is a Jesuit church with a plain outer facade that conceals an ornate interior filled with multiple chapels. Gilded wood, paintings, and tiles from the 16th century decorate these spaces throughout.
The church was built in 1553 under architect Filippo Terzi with an innovative anti-seismic building system. When the major earthquake of 1755 devastated the city, this building survived largely intact thanks to its special construction.
The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist was constructed in Rome and transported piece by piece to Lisbon, reflecting the great wealth of Portugal at that time. This extraordinary journey shows how much this sacred space mattered to people then.
Plan your visit around the standard opening hours, as the church only opens on Monday afternoons. If you need more time to explore, Thursday afternoons offer extended hours during the summer season.
The ceiling from the 16th century features painted details executed between 1584 and 1590, representing an early form of Portuguese architectural innovation. These crafted works demonstrate the skill of the artisans who contributed to this project.
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