Igreja de Santa Justa e de Santa Rufina

》Igreja de Santa Luzia

The Church of Santa Luzia is located at Largo Santa Luzia in the Alfama district. It is a National Monument and the location of one of Lisbon's finest viewpoints of the lower Alfama neighbourhood and Tangus River. Historically, Santa Luzia was originally built in the 12th century upon the grounds of a former Moorish fortification during the reign of D. Alfonso Henriques. However, the church you see today was the result of rebuilding in the aftermath of the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake by architect Mateus Vicente da Oliveira. Note the Maltese Cross above the entrance, linking to the church to the Order of the Knights of Malta.

Probably the most interesting feature of the Church of the Santa Luzia are the large azulejo tile scenes located on the southern walls of the church. One panel scene depicts the Christian siege upon the grounds of St. George Castle in 1147 AD. Another large panel is of Praça do Comércio and predates the infamous 1755 quake, providing a glimpse into what the large square looked like prior to be mostly destroyed and rebuilt. Look up from there and you'll be able to see a third interesting azulejo tiled image of St. Lucy, for whom the church is named.

》Towards the Castle, in the middle of the nave wall, a large smooth stone can be seen embedded, with a shield in the middle. Gothic letters run beneath this shield, crumbled and erased by time. We were helped by the diligence of a caretaker, aware of the ephemerality of the inscription, who recovered it on a board, which he hung on the same wall, which contained the following: Here lies D. Fr. Lourenço Gil, Freire of the Order of the Hofpital, Commander who went to the Church of S. Braz in Lisbon; and was the son of Gil Affonso, son of Rey D. Affonso, the pay of Rey D. Diniz.

》Lisbon is built in a succession of terraces up the slopes of a range of low rolling hills that rise from the banks of the Tagus River and the Mar de Palha northwest toward the Sintra Mountains, whose covering of lush Mediterranean and Atlantic European flora provides an attractive retreat for the city’s population. Sections of the city vary considerably in elevation, especially in the older areas along the water’s edge, which offer splendid 
views of the river and the low cliffs that line the river’s southern shore. Several geologic faults cross Lisbon and the surrounding region, but, notwithstanding the devastating earthquake of 1755, seismic activity has been limited to slight tremors since the 20th century.Read more