The capstone of Belem is the Jeronimos Monastery, particularly the cloisters. Yet another UNESCO World Heritage site, it was built starting in 1501, with the cornerstone laid on the symbolic date of January 6th.
(I've used it before, and I will use it over and over until it catches on in popular culture: "UNESCO means you must go!) Editor: Um, Glen, don't think that's going to happen. Writer: Well, then you'd better be willing to suffer through more blog posts with it!
It was erected as a thank you to the discoveries made by Portuguese explorers such as Vasco da Gama (his tomb is there). It is famous for being done in the Manueline ornamentation style. The style, named after King Manuel of Portugal, is quite ornate, and relies on white limestone.
Paid for largely by a 5% tax on spices brought back from India, it's referred to as a "Pepper Monument" by some. We skipped the archaeology museum part, and went straight to the cloisters.
They are, in a word, stunning. Double decker cloisters. We're thinking of building something similar in the backyard, it's that cool.
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