LisbonLisboaPortugal.com
The best independent guide to Lisbon
LisbonLisboaPortugal.com
The best independent guide to Lisbon
Igreja São Domingos Church, Lisbon Guide
The Saint Domingos Church (Igreja São Domingos) is macabre church that makes for a strange and creepy tourist attraction. The dim interior is painted a haunting orange, with ruined sections of old fire damaged church jutting out from the walls. Hidden in the small alcoves are gruesome and disturbing depictions of Jesus’ death and decaying body.
The São Domingos Church of Lisbon
The massive stone pillars are scorched from the fire that ravaged the church and there is still a lingering smell of burning in the air. No other church in Lisbon has this chilling yet morose atmosphere and the Igreja São Domingos is a truly unique sight of Lisbon.
Igreja São Domingos, Lisbon Toursit Information
No other church of Lisbon was pitted against so many natural disasters; the earth quake of 1531 and 1755 (which destroyed most of Baixa) and a major fire in 1959. Sections of the original Igreja São Domingos church which survived the two earthquakes are combined with later reconstructions, the ancient church arches and walls seem completely out of place against the smooth orange plastered walls.
This strange combination of ancient and more modern architecture adds to the over sinister atmosphere of the church, as if the orange walls are hiding some dark ruined secrete. The somber atmosphere is in the Igreja São Domingos stark contrast to the congregation who fill the Igreja São Domingos on Sundays and feast days which are predominantly African ex-colonialists who wear powerful coloured clothes and have a constant cheery disposition.
Fatima and the shepherds statue in the Igreja São Domingos
The small square in front of the Igreja São Domingos, the Largo de São Domingos, is a popular meeting area for the Portuguese African population. The Igreja São Domingos has always had a strong African connection as traditionally, the priest originated from African and was able to support new immigrants during their transition into Portuguese life style.
The Fire of the Igreja São Domingos Lisbon
The third devastation to hit the Igreja São Domingos occurred in 1959 when fire completely gutted the interior of the church. Much of the ornate artifacts were destroyed which included the gilded altars, valuable pictures and paintings. Traces of the fire can be still seen on the pillars which have scotch marks and the smell of burnt wood still lingers within the musty air.
How about a small group tour?
One of the best ways to discover Lisbon and to meet fellow travellers is to join a guided tour. We have worked with Getyourguide.com for the last six years, and some of the best tours of Lisbon include:
Discover more of Lisbon with our most popular guides
If you've found our content valuable, we'd welcome your support.
The digital publishing landscape has evolved significantly. As a small independent publisher, we face growing challenges. Search engines increasingly favour paid content over organic results, while AI-generated content often reproduces original work without attribution.
To support our work, please consider bookmarking this page (press Ctrl + D) for quick access. If you find an article helpful, we'd be grateful if you'd share it with friends on social media.
For specific questions, please see our Reddit community at r/LisbonPortugalTravel.
Should you notice any outdated or incorrect information, please contact us at [email protected]
Thank you for helping us continue to provide valuable content in an increasingly challenging digital environment.
A complete list of all of our Lisbon articles
- 
If you've found our content valuable, we'd welcome your support.
The digital publishing landscape has evolved significantly. As a small independent publisher, we face growing challenges. Search engines increasingly favour paid content over organic results, while AI-generated content often reproduces original work without attribution.
To support our work, please consider bookmarking this page (press Ctrl + D) for quick access. If you find an article helpful, we'd be grateful if you'd share it with friends on social media.
For specific questions, please see our Reddit community at r/LisbonPortugalTravel.
Should you notice any outdated or incorrect information, please contact us at [email protected]
Thank you for helping us continue to provide valuable content in an increasingly challenging digital environment.