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Igreja do São Domingos (the burnt church)

📖  Introduction
Church of Saint Dominic
Tuesday
07:30 AM – 07:00 PM
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The Church of São Domingos, also known as St. Dominic’s Church, gained notoriety due to a tragic fire. In 1959, flames eruptedsao-domingos-lisbon-dove from burning candles on the altar, swiftly consuming the entire structure. Since then, the church has remained partially unrestored, as recreating its unique interior would be impossible. Built in 1241, the church suffered extensive damage during the fateful fire, including the loss of wooden altars, liturgical vessels, and precious relics. Among the relics lost were a handkerchief belonging to Lucia Santos and half of Jacinta Marto’s veil—both children who witnessed the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Fatima on May 13, 1917. Today, the charred walls within the church stand as a poignant reminder of this unfortunate event.

The Lisbon massacre

The Church of São Domingos, also known as St. Dominic’s Church, witnessed other tragic events, with the most horrifying occurring in 1506. During that time, an epidemic of the plague and widespread famine afflicted the poorest residents. Seeking solace, many gathered in churches, hoping for miracles. One such gathering was the Easter Mass at the Church of St. Dominic in 1506. According to one account, a participant noticed flickering light—likely a reflection—on the crucifix and declared the long-awaited miraclesao domingos memorial2Unfortunately, another person immediately refuted this claim. To everyone’s misfortune, the so-called “new Christian,” a converted Jew who, like many others during that era, had been forced to change faiths, denied the miracle. The consequences, seemingly trivial at first, escalated disproportionately. The attention sparked anger among the exhausted and tormented crowd, fueling anti-Semitic sentiments. The resulting fury led to days of violence, assaults, and murders within the Jewish community, including women and children. Only when the king returned with his army did the frenzied mob finally calm down. Regrettably, the massacre claimed the lives of possibly thousands of Jews. Today, a monument erected in 2008 stands outside São Domingos Church, honoring the victims of the Easter sao-domingos-lisbon-memorialmassacre, while an olive tree grows nearby.

🚶‍♀Visit

The majestic, Baroque, single-nave church is built in the shape of a Latin cross. Despite its damage, the interior stands out with eclectic beauty.

sao-domingos-lisbon-front

Restored and reopened to visitors in 1994, it uniquely preserves traces of the fire and cracked columns, as if we stepped into the sanctuary shortly after that tragedy. The church’s marble polychromy speaks of its former grandeur, while serving as a poignant reminder of our shared heritage’s preciousness and impermanence.

Entry is free 🆓, and as you exit, explore historical photographs on the left side, capturing the aftermath of the 1959 church fire. 🔥

💡Psst … Nearby, toward Rossio Square, discover the famous Ginjinha Espinheira liqueur shop. 🍷 saúde

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