Igreja da Memória

The elegant Baroque Igreja da Memória was built on the orders of King Jose I in 1760 as a gesture of thanksgiving for having survived an assassination attempt two years earlier. The location of the church marks the exact spot where the failed attempt on the king’s life took place.

Literally translated as the Memorial Church, the building has a striking white marble exterior with a number of lovely neoclassical features, including a large, white dome.  The interior of the church is a pleasing, if a rather plain, mix of white marble and gilt. A tomb inside the church is the last resting place of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, better known as the Ist Marquis de Pombal, Portugal’s reforming Prime Minister who was the driving force behind the re-construction of the city following the catastrophic earthquake of 1755. 

The church is a little out of the way of the city's main tourist attractions, but is worth a visit.