Fortress · 1514–1519
Belém Tower
Torre de Belém
A live rhinoceros sent from India lands in Lisbon in 1515; a stone rhino head on the tower is traditionally linked to it.
Stories
Vasco da Gama's sea route to India 1497-1499
Cause of Jerónimos; spice money funds it.
Tower guards the Tagus 1514-1519
Between 1514 and 1519 the fortified tower rises in the river to guard the entrance to Lisbon's harbour.
The rhinoceros on the tower 1515
A live rhinoceros sent from India lands in Lisbon in 1515; a stone rhino head on the tower is traditionally linked to it.
World Heritage listing 1983
UNESCO lists the tower, together with Jerónimos, as World Heritage.