National Pantheon

Right in front of you is a church that took 284 years to finish, creating its own saying in Portuguese language. This is the Igreja de Santa Engracia, visible across Alfama and the Tagus River. In 1630, this church became the scene of a terrible injustice. When someone broke in and stole sacred objects, authorities arrested a young man named Simão Pires Solis. He had been nearby that night, secretly visiting his lover at the Santa Clara convent next door.

Despite his innocence, he was convicted and burned alive in 1631. Before he died, Simão cursed the church, swearing it would never be completed. His curse seemed to work. The building collapsed in a storm in 1681. Royal architect João Antunes began rebuilding in 1682, designing a stunning Baroque structure inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. But when Antunes died in 1712, all work stopped.

For over 250 years, the unfinished shell stood empty, giving Portuguese people the expression "Obras de Santa Engracia" for any project that never ends. The building was finally finished in 1966 and converted into the Panteão Nacional, where Portugal's greatest figures rest, including presidents, writers, fado singer Amália Rodrigues, and football legend Eusébio.