THE CATHEDRAL

This is one of Lisbon’s most ancient monuments. The popular sé, built during the reigns of Afonso' Henri- ques and Sancho I, was reconstructed at different periods after having been PaniallY def-“Wed by various earth tremours. Nevertheless, Its original ' Romanesque construction still preserves much of its _ purity of style. Apparently, the Englishman, Gilbert Hastings, who was to be the first bishop of Lisbon, was one of the most active promotors of the erection of Lisbon cathedral. The cloister and chapel of Joanes are of Gothic in- spiration. Outstanding for their beauty are the Romanesque windows on the facade and the vaults in the same style over the nave, also the Sacristy, the grave stones — especially the one convering the tomb of Lopo Fernandes Pacheco —, the richly adorned Romanesque railing closing off one of the chapels in the decorative Gothic cloister, the transept and the ambulatorium, with its tumuli and chapels in the apses. The structure of the cathedral has rather the look of a mediaeval fortress. Partially destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, its rebuilding was not completed until 1940. Its lovely outline stands out elegantly not far from the curious Casa dos Bicos and the church Of Santa Anténio, close to the Tagus.