"Why do we have to see all these cathedrals? They are all just alike." That was the frequent complaints we heard from the back seat on trips during our years of living in Europe. I'm here to testify to the fact that the cathedrals in Portugal are different. Portugal wasn't blessed with the marble of so many cathedral building countries. What they were blessed with was gold, lot of gold from Brazil.!
King Manuel started his own architectural style, called, interestingly enough Manueline! It's nice to be the king! The ornate, elaborate and intertwined carvings most notably around doors and windows are distinct to this style.
Manueline carvings also were used on the columns. Many of the symbols are from the sea. I couldn't understand why artichokes are part of this motif until I learned that sailors ate them to prevent scurvy.
I think even our children might have been impressed with these cathedrals!
Yes, lots of gold! Lots and lots of gold!
Portugal also has beautiful tiles everywhere including in their cathedrals
And sometimes they combined the gold and the tile to stunning effect!
King Manuel was the ruler when Vasco De Gama sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and Portugal was at the pinnacle of it power.
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