Lisbon
Where Saint Anthony was born and Saint Vincent's relics rest, the port the missions sailed from, with Fátima a coach ride away
Lisbon is the city of two patrons. Saint Anthony was born beside the Sé, according to tradition in 1195, and the city keeps his feast on 13 June as a public holiday. Saint Vincent's relics reached the Sé in 1173, and his ship and two ravens are still on the city's coat of arms. In the 1500s Lisbon was the port the missions sailed from: Vasco da Gama's crews prayed at Belém, and Saint Francis Xavier left for India in 1541. The earthquake on All Saints' Day 1755 struck while churches were full and left the Carmo a roofless ruin. Saint Jacinta of Fátima died in a Lisbon hospital in 1920, and the Cristo Rei across the river keeps a vow made in 1940. Three popes have made four visits, and World Youth Day brought about 1.5 million pilgrims in 2023. Fátima is about an hour and a half away by coach.
Fly over Lisbon in 3DA tour of the city that gave the Church Saint AnthonyStart the tourTop sites
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The Saints of Lisbon
Saint Vincent of SaragossaDeacon and martyr, died in 304, whose relics reached Lisbon in 1173. His ship and two ravens are on the city's arms, and the relics rest in two reliquaries in the Sé's Treasury. His feast is 22 January.
Saint Anthony of PaduaBorn in Lisbon beside the Sé, by tradition in 1195, and baptized Fernando. He was a canon at São Vicente de Fora before joining the Franciscans, and he died in Padua on 13 June 1231.
Saint Francis XavierJesuit who sailed from Lisbon for India on 7 April 1541. Small fragments of his relics are kept at São Roque.
Saint RochPatron against the plague. King Manuel I obtained a relic of him from Venice in 1506, and the hermitage built on a plague cemetery that year became São Roque.
- Saint Nuno Álvares Pereira
The Constable who won the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, founded the Carmo in 1389 and died there as Brother Nuno of Saint Mary in 1431. He was canonized in 2009, and his relics were carried to Santo Condestável in the early 1950s.
Saint Jacinta MartoThe Fátima seer who lived in a Lisbon orphanage on Rua da Estrela in January 1920 and died in the Hospital de Dona Estefânia on 20 February 1920.
- Saint Bartholomew of the Martyrs
Born in 1514 in the parish of the Mártires and baptized there, a Dominican of São Domingos, then Archbishop of Braga and a reformer at the Council of Trent.
- Saints Verissimus, Maxima and Julia
Lisbon's own martyrs under Diocletian, by tradition a brother and two sisters, remembered at Santos-o-Velho.
Saint John Paul IIVisited Lisbon in May 1982 and May 1991. In 1982 he prayed in the crypt of Santo António and spoke at the Sé.
Beyond the churches
Views, walks and the town between the churches.
Pastéis de Belém and the monks' recipe
The custard tart of Belém has a monastery story. After the orders were suppressed in 1834, someone from the Jerónimos sold the monks' pastries at a sugar refinery beside the monastery, and the shop has baked them since 1837 to a recipe kept by its master confectioners. The house's own account tells it, and it remains tradition. The shop at Rua de Belém 84 to 92 is open daily, and the take-away queue on the pavement usually clears in 15 to 20 minutes. Go between 08:00 and 10:00 or late in the day. Pastéis de Belém is the shop's trademark, and the same tart elsewhere is called a pastel de nata.
Itineraries
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1 day · 2 sitesBelém: The Parish Church, the Cloister and the Pastel de NataMass first, then the monastery cloister, on a Tuesday to Saturday morning
1 day · 5 sitesChristmas Cribs in Lisbon: A Day of PresépiosMachado de Castro's cribs and others, from Estrela to Alfama, on a weekday or Saturday before Christmas
1 day · 4 sitesCorpus Christi in Lisbon: The Sé Procession
1 day · 5 sitesLent and Holy Week in Lisbon: Walking the Senhor dos Passos Route
1 day · 4 sitesLisbon in Half a Day: Anthony and Vincent
1 day · 5 sitesOne Day in Catholic Lisbon
1 day · 4 sitesSaint Anthony's Day in Lisbon: Bread, Mass and the Procession
2 days · 9 sitesTwo Days in Catholic Lisbon
2 days · 6 sitesTwo Days in Lisbon with Limited Mobility
3 days · 11 sitesThree Days in Catholic Lisbon
3 days · 8 sitesThree Days in Lisbon with Children
5 days · 19 sitesFive Days in Catholic Lisbon
Day trips from Lisbon
Longer trips
Collections
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6 sitesLisbon's Churches of Foreign CommunitiesChurches where English, Italian, French and Flemish communities have prayed in Lisbon
5 sitesLisbon, Port of the Discoveries and MissionsVigils before sailing, a king's monastery, and the missionaries who followed
9 sitesLisbon's 1755 Earthquake: What Fell, What StoodChurches the earthquake spared, ruined and rebuilt, and the nave the city kept
5 sitesJesuit Lisbon and Saint Francis XavierWhere the Jesuits arrived in 1540, were expelled in 1759, and serve again
10 sitesMarian Churches and Chapels of LisbonWhere Lisbon's sailors, soldiers and families have turned to Our Lady
8 sitesLisbon's Procession ChurchesThe churches behind Lisbon's Lenten, Easter, Marian, Corpus Christi and Saint Anthony processions
7 sitesRoyal Tombs and Pantheons of LisbonWhere Portugal's kings, queens and national heroes are buried
5 sitesSaint Anthony in LisbonHis birthplace, baptismal font and first monastery, and the churches of his feast
3 sitesSaint Vincent and Lisbon's RavensHis relics in the cathedral, his monastery, and the panels that honor him
6 sitesSaints and Holy People of LisbonWhere the city's martyrs, patrons and canonized saints are remembered
7 sitesChurches Along Lisbon's Tram 28Churches on or beside the route of the historic yellow tram
7 sitesWhere Lisbon Prays Every DayChurches with daily Mass, confession and adoration in the center of Lisbon
7 sitesThe Portuguese Camino From LisbonChurches on the road from Lisbon's cathedral to the tomb of Saint James
6 sitesEucharistic Miracle and Adoration in PortugalSantarém's bleeding Host, Lisbon's reparation church and places of adoration
3 sitesSaint Nuno Álvares Pereira in LisbonThe general of Aljubarrota who became a Carmelite brother
4 sitesSaint Anthony From Lisbon to PaduaFrom the house where he was born to the basilica that holds his tomb
7 sitesHidden Gems of Lisbon: Churches Most Visitors MissSeven smaller churches and chapels worth the detour, from a Baixa chapel rebuilt after 1755 to the church of Lisbon's first martyrs.
Featured Events
Good to know
The Madalena church, between the Baixa and the Sé, has Mass in English on Sundays and holy days at 11:15, and on Saturday at 18:00, a Saturday evening Mass that the parish describes as the Indian community's. The Encarnação church in the Chiado has an English Mass on Sunday at 17:30, but its own page showed only an August timetable with no English Mass when we checked on 29 October 2026, so check in August. No weekday English Mass and no English confessor were found in the city. São Nicolau hears confessions most of the day.
Article · 7 minMass and Confession in English in LisbonReadThe coach is the simplest way, because there is no train station at the shrine. Coaches leave from Sete Rios, reached by the blue metro line to Jardim Zoológico, and take about an hour and a half. Rede Expressos and FlixBus serve the route, so check Rede Expressos for times and buy on the day or ahead. The shrine's schedule, checked on 29 October 2026, lists the rosary daily at 18:30 in the Chapel of the Apparitions, which a night at the shrine lets you attend. Book ahead for the pilgrimage of 12 and 13 May 2027 and for 13 October.
Article · 4 minGetting to Fátima from LisbonReadThe church of Santa Maria de Belém is the parish church and is free to enter, with its own door. The cloister of the monastery is a separate ticket of 18 euros. The Museus e Monumentos de Portugal page, checked on 29 October 2026, gives the cloister Tuesday to Sunday from 09:30 to 17:30, with last entry at 17:00, and closed on Mondays and on 13 June. It gives the church Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 to 17:00 and Sunday 14:00 to 17:00. Seeing both means queuing twice, since they do not connect. No current parish page gives the Mass times.
Article · 7 minVisiting the Jerónimos Church, Monastery and BelémReadNever fewer than two nights, and three is right. Four to five suit a base for day trips. Three days cover the Sé, Santo António and São Vicente on the first, Belém on the second, and the Chiado, São Roque and the Estrela on the third. Add one to two nights at Fátima rather than a rushed day trip. Plan the full city for Tuesday to Saturday, because the Belém monuments, the National Pantheon, the Santo António museum and the National Museum of Ancient Art are shut on Mondays.
Article · 7 minHow Many Days to Spend in LisbonReadSix places carry the pilgrim's Lisbon: the Sé, Santo António, São Vicente de Fora, the church of Santa Maria de Belém, the Jerónimos monastery and São Roque. Pray first and pay second. The Sé's prayer space, Santo António and the Belém church are free, while the Sé circuit, the Jerónimos cloister and the São Roque museum are ticketed. Start early on the hills of Alfama and keep a bag in front on tram 28, where pickpockets work.
Article · 7 minLisbon Churches Worth Seeing, Opening Hours and DressReadHours change by church and season, and visits stop during services. São Roque's own page, checked on 29 October 2026, gives the church Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00, to 18:00 from October to March and to 19:00 from April to September, with Mass at 12:30 and the church open from 13:00 on Mondays. The Sé's tourist circuit closes on Sundays and holy days, but its prayer space is free. São Nicolau in the Baixa is open from 08:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and from 10:00 to 23:00 on Sundays, with Mass every night at 22:00.
Article · 7 minLisbon Churches Worth Seeing, Opening Hours and DressReadLisbon's public Lenten event is the procession of the Senhor dos Passos, which goes from São Roque to Graça and is usually held on the second Sunday of Lent. That would be 21 February 2027 if the pattern holds, though the date is not announced and in 2025 it fell on the third Sunday. Palm Sunday is 21 March, Good Friday 26 March, which is a public holiday, and Easter 28 March. The Patriarchate's homepage, checked on 29 October 2026, has a Mass finder but no Holy Week or Easter times yet, and it publishes them closer to the date.
Article · 7 minHoly Week and Easter in LisbonReadYes, for a pilgrimage day. The official pages, checked on 29 October 2026, give Batalha, Alcobaça and the Convento de Cristo in Tomar at 15 euros each, and Rede Expressos runs from Sete Rios to Batalha daily in about 2 hours. Alcobaça is closed on 20 August, and at Tomar restoration limits access to some terraces and cloisters. The Mafra palace is open Wednesday to Monday for 15 euros, but its basilica closed in January 2025 for works, and no reopening has been announced. Batalha, Alcobaça and Nazaré with Fátima in one day works only by car or tour.
Article · 5 minThe Royal Monasteries North of Lisbon: Batalha, Alcobaça, Tomar and MafraReadTake the train from Rossio, about 40 minutes, and then a Scotturb 434 loop bus to the Pena park. The Parques de Sintra page, checked on 29 October 2026, says the Pena palace is entered at a reserved time and that the Essential Visit ticket, palace and park, costs 20 euros, so book ahead. The Catholic sites are the Pena palace, built on a Hieronymite monastery, and the Capuchos convent, which lies off the bus loops and needs a taxi.
Article · 4 minSintra Day Trip from LisbonReadThe red metro line is the usual way, about 20 to 25 minutes to the center, with a change at Alameda or São Sebastião for the Baixa. A single ride is 1.90 euros on a rechargeable card, according to Carris's 2026 fare table checked on 29 October 2026. A taxi costs more, with surcharges at night, on Sundays and on holidays. The cruise terminal sits in the historic center, a short walk from Alfama.
Article · 6 minGetting from the Airport or Cruise Port to LisbonReadBuy a rechargeable Navegante Ocasional card, which costs 0.50 euros, with one card for each person. Carris's 2026 fare table, checked on 29 October 2026, gives a Carris or metro single at 1.90 euros, a ticket bought on board at 2.30 on a bus and 3.30 on a tram, and a 24 hour Carris and metro ticket at 7.25. The Lisboa Card costs 31, 51 or 62 euros for 24, 48 or 72 hours, includes the trains to Sintra and Cascais and free entry to the Jerónimos, but gives no free entry at the Carmo, where it costs 5 euros, or São Vicente, where it costs 6.
Article · 8 minGetting Around LisbonReadFor a prayer-centered visit, the Baixa: São Nicolau has adoration until 23:30 and Mass every night at 22:00, Madalena has the English Mass, and the Sé and Santo António are 5 to 10 minutes uphill. The edge of the Chiado puts four churches within about 300 meters. Alfama suits the Sé and the 13 June procession but is steep and loud in June. Central Lisbon has no Catholic guesthouse that takes guests night by night, and the sacred stay is inside the shrine at Fátima.
Article · 7 minWhere to Stay in LisbonReadChoose Lisbon first for a first trip to Portugal, since it has more variety and easier day trips, including Fátima. Add Porto if the trip is a week or longer. The fast train from Lisboa Oriente to Porto Campanhã takes about 2 hours 45 minutes but skips Fátima, Batalha, Alcobaça, Nazaré and Óbidos. Anyone who wants those towns on the way north needs a coach, a private transfer or a car.
Article · 4 minLisbon or Porto? How to Choose and How to Join ThemReadThe Glória, Lavra and Bica funiculars and the Santa Justa lift have been closed since the crash of 3 September 2025, in which 16 people died. Carris's president said on 1 September 2026 that Bica, Lavra and Santa Justa remain under independent review with no reopening date. Only the Graça funicular, from Martim Moniz, has reopened, on 30 April 2026. Carris said tram 28 would resume its full line on 11 May 2026, and it links Graça, São Vicente, the Sé, the Chiado and the Estrela, so check Carris on the day. It is crowded and is Lisbon's pickpocket line.
Article · 7 minHills, Trams and Closed Lifts in LisbonReadCatholic stays
Central Lisbon has no convent guesthouse that takes visitors night by night. The hotels in former convents, such as the Convento do Salvador in Alfama, are ordinary hotels. The sacred stay is at Fátima, where the shrine's own houses, the Casa de Retiros de Nossa Senhora das Dores and the Casa de Retiros de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, take individual pilgrims and families, and the daily rosary at 18:30 in the Chapel of the Apparitions is a short walk away. See two days at Fátima. The diocesan retreat center at Turcifal, about 45 kilometers north of Lisbon, hosts parishes and Church movements rather than individual guests.
Article · The full guide to every stay · 7 min readWhere to Stay in LisbonThe best base for a pilgrim, the Catholic stays outside the center, and where walkers sleepRead the guideArticles
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Best Day Trips from Lisbon and How to Reach Them5 min read
Cascais and the Coast from Lisbon3 min read
Feasts and seasonsChristmas in Lisbon7 min read
Évora from Lisbon3 min read
Fátima from Lisbon as a Day Trip or an Overnight7 min read- Getting aroundGetting Around Lisbon8 min read
- Getting aroundGetting from the Airport or Cruise Port to Lisbon6 min read
- Getting aroundGetting to Fátima from Lisbon4 min read
- Getting aroundHills, Trams and Closed Lifts in Lisbon7 min read
- Feasts and seasonsHoly Week and Easter in Lisbon7 min read
- PlanningHow Many Days to Spend in Lisbon7 min read
PracticalIs Lisbon Safe? Common Scams and Solo Travel6 min read
Mass and sacramentsLatin Mass, Adoration and Sacred Music in Lisbon6 min read- Visiting sitesLisbon Churches Worth Seeing, Opening Hours and Dress7 min read
- PlanningLisbon or Porto? How to Choose and How to Join Them4 min read
Feasts and seasonsLisbon Processions and Feast Days Through the Year8 min read
PlanningLisbon with Children or Limited Mobility8 min read- Mass and sacramentsMass and Confession in English in Lisbon7 min read
PracticalMoney, SIM Cards, Plugs and Local Customs in Lisbon5 min read
Visiting sitesMuseums and Azulejo Tiles in Lisbon7 min read
Pastéis de Belém, Fado and Viewpoints in Lisbon8 min read
Visiting sitesSaint Anthony's Birthplace, Crypt and Museum in Lisbon6 min read
Feasts and seasonsSaint Anthony's Feast and the June Festivals in Lisbon7 min read
Visiting sitesSaint Jacinta and Fátima in Lisbon7 min read
Santarém and the Eucharistic Miracle from Lisbon3 min read- Sintra Day Trip from Lisbon4 min read
PlanningThe Best Time to Visit Lisbon7 min read- The Royal Monasteries North of Lisbon: Batalha, Alcobaça, Tomar and Mafra5 min read
Visiting sitesVisiting Cristo Rei from Lisbon6 min read
Visiting sitesVisiting Lisbon Cathedral, the Sé6 min read
Visiting sitesVisiting São Roque Church and Museum5 min read- Visiting sitesVisiting the Jerónimos Church, Monastery and Belém7 min read
Walking Out of Lisbon to Fátima or Santiago8 min read
PracticalWhat Is Open, Closed and Bookable in Lisbon8 min read- StayingWhere to Stay in Lisbon7 min read
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