Lisbon is the European capital home to the UNESCO-listed Belém Tower.
The tower stands on the northern bank of the Tagus River in the Belém district, near the river mouth. King Manuel I ordered it in the early 16th century as part of Lisbon’s defenses and as a ceremonial gateway for ships entering the city.
Construction took place from 1514 to 1520, during Portugal’s Age of Discoveries. Its ornate Manueline design combines military features with maritime motifs, carved ropes, armillary spheres and the cross of the Order of Christ. Francisco de Arruda is commonly credited as its architect.
Belém Tower was originally built on a small island, although changes to the shoreline later left it much closer to the riverbank. It is sometimes confused with nearby Jerónimos Monastery, another major Manueline landmark. Both sites became part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing “Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon” in 1983.