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Belem Tower

Fortifications and Military Architecture

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Belem Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent, is a sixteenth century fortification in Lisbon, Portugal, that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to the city, symbolizing Portugal's maritime and colonial power in early modern Europe. Built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance, it is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style that also incorporates other influences, such as minarets inspired by Moorish architecture, and is composed of a bastion and a 30 meter, four story tower built of lioz limestone local to the Lisbon region.

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Francisco de Arruda's 1514 to 1519 fortified tower guarding the Tagus, paired with Jeronimos Monastery as the twin defining monuments of Manueline architecture.

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