During the 16th century, Lisbon played a prominent role in international trade. Because of the established sea routes it became a natural port of call, and King João II devised a plan to protect the city by building three fortresses on the Tagus to form a triangular defence. The king died in 1495, and the building of the tower in the Belém district was left to his successor, Manuel II. Dedicated to the patron saint of the city, St. Vincent, the tower was designed by the architect Francisco de Arruda, recently returned from North Africa, and work was completed in 1520.
Francisco de Arruda's Moorish leanings can be seen in the tower's decorative features. In honour of the king, the tower also includes Manueline motifs - carved rope; armillary spheres; and crosses of the Military Order of Christ. The structure comprises the bastion, and the four-storey tower. The bastion housed the cannons and was the first Portuguese fortification to include a two-level gun emplacement. Gaps in the 3.5m (11.5ft) thick walls accommodated 17 large-calibre cannons, while a platform was used to site light-calibre guns.
The tower, 35m (115ft) high, included storage for gunpowder at the lowest level, with the commander's accommodation above. The second storey is flanked by balconies on all sides, while moving upwards there are first a chapel, and then an oratory at the top.
With the passage of time and the construction of more modern fortifications along the Tagus, the Belem Tower lost its prime function of defence and took on roles as a prison, customs post, telegraph office and lighthouse.
Constructed as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon, and as part of a defence system at the entrance of the Tagus river, the 35m (715ft) high tower stands behind the bastion, with its vaulted casemate (gun emplacement), facing the river it was to protect, and providing a beacon for vessels at night.
The façade is highly ornate, displaying Manueline motifs, including shields bearing the Cross of the Order of Christ on the crenetlations of the walls, and on the covered balconies of each wall on the second storey.
The corners of the bastion, and the topmost story of the tower, have delicate guerites (turrets) topped by Moorish cupoloas. The base of the turrets have images of beasts. A loggia on the first story overlooks the bastion, while a terrace surrounding the third storey provides stunning views of the landscape.
The tower was built in the early 16th century, during the Age of Discovery, as part of a three-fortress plan to protect the city of Lisbon and its harbour. Constructed in the Portuguese late
Gothic style, the Manueline, it originally stood on an island in the River · Tagus - although the river has since changed course. · Often used as a symbol of Lisbon and of Portugal’s past glories, the tower is now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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