The Sé, or Basilica of Santa Maria Maior, is the cathedral of Lisbon and the seat of the patriarchate. It was begun in 1147, just after Afonso Henriques took the city with the help of the Crusaders, probably where the mosque had stood. It has been a national monument since 1910.
On the Camino
The cathedral is kilometre zero of the Central Route: from here the 34.2 km (21.2 miles) stage to Vila Franca de Xira sets out, descending through Alfama towards the Tagus.
What to see
The first bishop after the conquest was an English crusader, Gilbert of Hastings. The Romanesque church, with three naves and a triforium, closely resembles the old cathedral of Coimbra, because both are attributed to Master Robert. The Gothic cloister dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. Afonso IV had the Gothic chevet with ambulatory built so that he could be buried there with his wife, Beatriz.