Igreja de Santa Luzia, Catholic church in Santa Maria Maior district, Lisbon, Portugal.
Igreja de São Brás e de Santa Luzia is a church in the Santa Maria Maior district of Lisbon designed with a Latin cross floor plan and a single nave. Religious statues are positioned throughout the interior, and an adjacent viewing platform overlooks the Alfama neighborhood and the Tagus River.
The building was originally dedicated to Saint Blaise and founded by knight orders who took control of Lisbon during the medieval period. This early establishment shaped the religious architecture of the district and its long association with military institutional presence.
The church serves as headquarters for the Portuguese Knights Assembly of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, maintaining a centuries-old institutional presence within its walls.
The church is located at Largo de Santa Luzia and is easily reached on foot through Alfama's winding streets. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended since the neighborhood is hilly and approach pathways can be steep.
The building survived the 1755 earthquake with only minimal structural damage while many other buildings in Lisbon were destroyed. Inside are ten marked tombs of important figures, including Grand Prior Dom João de Sousa, which remain intact to this day.
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