Igreja de São Roque

In the heart of Bairro Alto lies a church like no other in the world, the Igreja de São Roque. The seemingly plain Church of São Roque (Igreja de São Roque) is astonishingly elaborate in its interior, housing one of the world’s most impressive chapels. Jesuit art was the Catholic answer to Reformist austerity.

Since it was founded in 1498, Misericórdia de Lisboa has gathered a vast historical, artistic and documentary heritage, including the collections of the Museum and Church of São Roque, classified as a National Monument in 1910.

The Catholic God had to be displayed in all its glory in stark contrast to Protestant practice. The abundance of marble, gilded sculptures, large paintings & azulejos church make this Jesuit church of the 16th century an art treasure trove. The wooden ceiling is painted with scenes of the Apocalypse & its Corinthian columns gilded with ornaments. The overall result is considered a masterpiece of European art.

The São Roque Museum was one of the first art museums to be created in Portugal. It opened to the public on January 11, 1905, with the designation of Museum of the Treasury of the Capela de São João Baptista, in evocation of the important collection of Italian art that led to its creation. Since its opening, it has been installed in the building of the former Casa-Professa da Companhia de Jesus in Lisbon, a space adjacent to the Church of São Roque, which had been donated to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa in 1768, after the expulsion of the Jesuits.

Throughout the 20th century, it was the object of several renovations, which made it possible to follow the changes made in the field of museology. The most extensive refurbishment was carried out between 2006 and 2008, allowing the museum to expand and double its permanent exhibition area.