Senhora do Monte Viewpoint

Right here stands a hilltop where queens once climbed while pregnant, seeking the blessing of a simple stone chair hidden inside the white baroque chapel. This is the Senhora do Monte viewpoint, home to one of the city's most unusual traditions tied to royal childbirth. The marble chair belonged to Saint Gens, the first bishop martyred on this exact spot in 284 AD during Roman times.

Legend says his own mother died giving birth to him, making him the patron saint of childbirth. For centuries, pregnant women believed sitting in his chair would ease labor pains and ensure safe delivery. The tradition grew so powerful that in 1711, Queen Maria Ana of Austria, wife of King João V, made the steep climb while carrying the heir to the throne. She sat in the chair, joining countless women who had done the same for over 500 years.

The chapel you see was rebuilt in 1796 after the massive 1755 earthquake destroyed the original hermitage that stood here since 1147. That same year, Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques, gathered his army on this hilltop before taking the city from the Moors.