Monastery of São Vicente de Fora

Right here in the Alfama district stands one of the most extraordinary tile collections on Earth. Nearly 100,000 hand painted azulejos cover these monastery walls, making it the largest baroque tile collection under one roof anywhere in the world. This is the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, founded in 1147 by Afonso Henriques, Portugal's first king, after he conquered the city from the Moors. The name "de Fora" means "outside" because it was built beyond the medieval walls where his troops camped during the siege.

The building you see today was completely rebuilt in 1582 when Portugal fell under Spanish rule. Italian and Spanish architects created this magnificent structure, though the 1755 earthquake destroyed its original dome. Walk into the cloisters and you'll discover 38 stunning tile panels telling the witty fables of French writer Jean de La Fontaine.

Master artist Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes created these between 1740 and 1750, depicting playful scenes of bears, rabbits, and cats in moral tales. But perhaps the monastery's most unexpected role came in 1855 when the old dining hall became the royal pantheon. Here rest the Braganza dynasty kings who ruled from 1640 to 1910, including Catherine of Braganza, who became Queen of England.