National Pantheon of Santa Engracia

The burial place of the great and good of Portugal, the gleaming white National Pantheon has its roots in the 17th century but was only finally completed in 1966. Constructed to a design by Lisbon’s Baroque master-craftsman João Antunes, it is a mini-me of St Peters in Rome, with a highly intricate, colonnaded exterior topped with a central dome. Climb six flights of steps up to the top for matchless views over the city to the River Tagus.
Inside the church is a riot of highly patterned mosaic flooring, gleaming white marble adorned with gilt, and memorial cenotaphs to Vasco da Gama and Henry the Navigator. The vast, 18th-century Baroque organ was moved here from Sé Cathedral in the 1940s, and famous names interred in the nave include a string of Portuguese statesmen and the revered fado singer Amalia Rodrigues.  Tuesdays and Saturdays see the fascinating Feira da Ladra flea market fill the Campo de Santa Clara in the shadow of the National Pantheon; it is a pleasant jumble of stalls selling anything from knock-off DVDs to vintage fashion.

Practical Info

Located at Campo de Santa Clara, the site is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Take Tram 28 to Arco de São Vicente or the Metro to Apolonia – although this involves a steep uphill walk.