Rebecca, Paul, Michelle, and I took Uber to the center of Lisbon to catch a free walking tour with Ricardo. We were a few minutes late, but it didn’t matter since the four of us were the only tourists.
The tour began in front of St. Dominic’s church near Rossio square. Church construction began in 1241 and has survived two earthquakes and a fire. Due to the Great Earthquake of 1755—which destroyed nearly every building—it is one of the oldest buildings in Lisbon.
Unfortunately, St. Dominic’s is the site of the Lisbon Massacre, a horrible slaughter by Catholics against Jewish converts. For three days beginning on Good Friday, April 19, 1506, a mob went around the Jewish section of Lisbon hunting and killing Jews. It all started when, during Good Friday services, prayers were offered for an end to the plague. One of the believers said they could see the face of the Lord above the crucifix on the altar. However, one new convert from Judaism to Christianity disagreed, stating that it was only an optical illusion. Another convert also said the same. This angered many worshippers which led to the two men being dragged just outside the church and killed. The Dominican clergy encouraged further killing of any Jews or converts. By the time King Manuel got control of the situation, an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 Jews had been massacred. Many were burned alive.
What a way to start our walking tour.
On a lighter note, we took some interesting photos while walking around. There was a beer museum, a peacock, a statue of the rear end of an elephant, and a sleeping homeless person next to 10 empty dog bowls (or bowls to collect coins, not sure). While Lisbon has a huge bridge resembling the Golden Gate, Paul came across some poop on the ground reminiscent of the sidewalks in San Francisco, but he failed to get a photo.
The Lisbon Cathedral is one of the city’s oldest structures. The cathedral was built in 1147 after King Alfonso I and the Christian Crusaders defeated the Muslim Moors in the Battle of Lisbon. The city was under Muslim control since 711. The Cathedral was built on the site of the main mosque in Lisbon. St. Anthony of Padua was born in Lisbon, lived near the Cathedral, and was baptized there in 1195.
The Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 destroyed the main chapel and royal pantheon, as well as many cloisters and chapels in the subsequent fire. The cathedral was partially rebuilt at the time, and then had extensive renovations occurred at the beginning of the 20th century.
Across the street from the Cathedral is the Church of St. Anthony of Padua. It began as a small chapel dedicated to St. Anthony built no later than the 15th century. The chapel was converted into a Church in the 16th century under King Manuel I. King John V enlarged the Church in 1730. However, the Great Earthquake of 1755 destroyed it.
We stumbled upon a Mass in progress while visiting the Church. The Mass was being said in Creole, English, and Latin. According to a lady I met named Stephanie, the priest was from Haiti and he was leading a group on a 14-day pilgrimage around Europe. The group was from Atlantic City, New Jersey. Rebecca, Michelle, and I walked up to the St. George castle but decided not to pay the 20 Euros per person to go in. Instead, we drank Sangria and watched a peacock and waited for it to expand its wings. It never did.