Founded in 1459 by King Manuel I for the order of St. Jerome, the Jeronimos Monastery replaced an another church ( the "Hermitage of Rostelo") that formerly existed on the site. Originally, this was meant to be dedicated to "Santa Maria de Belem", or the monks of the military-religious "Order of Christ, that provided protection to seafarers in transit. While construction of the monastery began in 1501, it actually took 100 years for completion. Under the rule of King Philip of Spain, the monastery was used as a funerary monument. Following the Portuguese Independence of 1640, it regained much of its former importance. When the 1755 earthquake severely damaged much of Lisbon, the monastery suffered only minimal damage. The Hieronymite monks ( also known as the Order of St. Jerome) occupied the monastery for more than four centuries, until 1833, when their order was dissolved and the monastery was abandoned. In December of 1833, the monastery was secularized and used as a parochial church. Remaining mostly vacant during this period, the building began to deteriorate, until restoration work began in 1860 (resulting in the demolishment of the cloister cistern, the clerical cells, and the kitchen). In 1983, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This place is huge, but only a portion of it is open to the public. While long lines waiting to gain entrance begin early in the morning, don't get discouraged. It moves quickly. So stick with it. You won't be disappointed.
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