Where in the World is Sharon Daugherty2: Lisbon, Sunday Day 4

Elevador Santa Justa

One of the city's best-loved landmarks and also known as the "Elevator of Carmo," this extraordinary structure was built at the turn of the century by the Portugal-born French architect Raoul de Mesnier du Ponsard (an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, explaining the structure's similarities to Paris' Eiffel Tower), to connect downtown to Bairro Alto (the lowest and highest points of the city).

Originally powered by steam, it is 45 meters (147ft) high, and remains an interesting example of post-Eiffel iron architecture. The top of the Neo-Gothic tower, reached via a spiral staircase, has a cafe with splendid views of the city, including over Rossio Square, the castle and the river.

This elevator has an operator and it is just like any other means of transportation. One must pay to ride to the top. Doesn't look like it goes anywhere but the top. Actually there is a walkway off the back that goes into the hill districts of Bairro Alto and Chiado.

View from where the elevator stopped

We did not climb the spiral staircase (maybe later). We amble up the street just kind of wandering along the narrow sidewalks

We wandered into a square with this very plain looking church. As we stepped up to enter it a gentleman informed me that this was the Church of Sao Roque (Saint Roch) and as there was a service in progress, suggested we visit the museum next door that is housed in the former Professed House.

The Church of Sao Roque - When a wave of the plague swept over Lisbon in 1505, King Manuel I asked the Republic of Venice for a relic of Saint Roch, whose miracles, which helped the victim of the plague, were popular in Southern Europe. In 1506 the consturction of the shrine was started. The churchyard of this shrine was used as a cemetery for the victims of the plague. Of the shrine, which was later demolished to build the Church and Professed House of Sao Roque, there remains a set of four painted panels from its altar piece, depicting the life and legend of Saint Roch. The original relic requested from the Republic of Venice is still preserved.

The Museu de Arte Sacra(Museum of Sacred Art) displays a collection of clerical vestments and liturgical objects. There are 18th-century capes and drapes embroidered in gold and jewel-encrusted crosses and goblets. Two bronze-and-silver torch holders, weighing about 838 pounds, are some of the most elaborate in Europe.

The four panels of the Life and Legend of Saint Roch

The Society of Jesus was created in 1534 by Saint Ignatius of Loyola and six other companions, who were students at the University of Paris, and approved by Pope Paul III in 1540. The order was established from the outset in Portugal. The Ignatian priests chose the location of the Shrine of Sao Roque to construct there Porfessed House in 1553

The chalices

Two bronze-and-silver torch holders, weighing about 838 pounds, are some of the most elaborate in Europe.

They are huge

Vestments

Altar pieces

Model for the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist

We exited the museum and found the service was still going, so we walked up the hill to another viewpoint which happened to have a little restaurant, where we decided to have lunch

One of the funiculars arriving just below the view point

Miradouro (viewpoint) de São Pedro de Alcântara

Monument dedicated to Eduardo Coelho, founder of a popular newspaper. The monument was erected in 1904 and shows the bust of the newspaper magnate with below him the statue of a newspaper delivery boy.

I had chicken empanada pies. Very tasty and coffee. Terry had a chicken sandwich and wine

Ok, lunch done we are back down the hill to try the churcvh again. It was well worth the wait.

"The plain façade of St. Roque Church belies the splendor within. The nave, with a painted wood ceiling,

The Chancel

The Nave is lined with eight side chapels full of Baroque art. On the right of the Nave

Chapel of Our Lady of the Doctrine

Chapel of Saint Francis Xavier

Chapel of Saint Roch

Chapel of the Most Holy Sacrament

On the left of the Nave

Chapel of the Holy Family

Chapel of Saint Anthony

Chapel of Our Lady of Piety

and the most notable of the chapels is the last one on the left: the 18th-century Capela de São João Baptista (Chapel of St. John the Baptist) by Luigi Vanvitelli.

Comissioned by King João V in 1741, the chapel was assembled in Rome of expensive materials including alabaster and lapis lazuli, then dismantled for shipment to Lisbon. It was transported to Portugal in three ships and reassembled on-site in 1747. It was designed by italian architects Luigi Vanvitelli and Nicola Salvi under the supervision of the King's architect Frederik Ludwig. Inaugurated in 1752, the chapel differs from the rest of th church because of the use of different types of stone (precious and semi-precious) and gilt bronze in its decoration, a common feature in Roman Baroque.

The floor is made up of tiny mosiac tiles

the wall paintings are also mosics

Just beautiful

The central panel is the Baptism of Christ, a mosic composition by Mattia Moretti circa 1750

The church's sacristy contains many paintings depicting scenes from the lives of Jesuit saints. In addition to its wealth of Baroque art, the church contains some valuable sacred relics: include a thorn from the crown of thorns and a piece of wood from Jesus's crib.