St. Anthony Church and Museum

Visitor's Guide

Igreja de Santo António, Lisbon

A statue of St. Anthony holding baby Jesus stands outside the church and museum

Built on the site where St. Anthony was born in 1195, this church is dedicated to the saint known as a matchmaker and patron saint for the recovery of lost items. He has always been the most popular saint in Lisbon, and his statue stands outside the church. Originally built in the 1400s, the current church dates from 1757, due to the post-1755 earthquake reconstruction.

St. Anthony Church and Museum, Lisbon

Inside St. Anthony's church

The façade combines the baroque and neoclassical styles, as does the interior, which also features paintings by 18th-century artist Pedro Alexandrino de Carvalho and the remains of St. Justina, transferred from Rome in 1777 by Pope Pius VI. In the crypt, where St. Anthony was born, you can see a contemporary tile panel illustrating a visit of Pope John Paul II to the site in 1982.

Tile panel showing Pope John Paul II inside St. Anthony Church, Lisbon

Tile panel illustrating Pope John Paul II's visit to St. Anthony Church

Next to the church is a small museum that's one of the branches of the Lisbon Museum. It presents a collection of paintings, sculpture, and manuscripts that evoke the popular worship of the saint.

Igreja de Santo António, Lisbon

The site where St. Anthony was born, in the crypt

On Saint Anthony's Day (June 13th), young couples stop at the church after the mass weddings that take place in the city's cathedral just around the corner.

St. Justina's remains in St. Anthony Church

The remains of St. Justina that were brought from Rome

How to Get to St. Anthony Church and Museum


Tram 28 stops outside the church, but it’s also just a 5-to-10-minute walk from anywhere downtown, following the tram tracks up the hill.
You may ride the tram (and the city’s metro, buses, funiculars and trains) for free with the Lisboa Card.

Largo de Santo Antonio da Sé, 22, Alfama


Admission and Tickets to St. Anthony Church and Museum


The church is free, but the museum next door charges €3.00. That ticket also allows admission to the other branches of the Lisbon Museum.

The church opens every day; the museum closes on Mondays


Attractions Nearby


Behind the church is the city’s cathedral, and next to the cathedral is the Aljube Museum. Follow the tram tracks up the hill and you reach two of the city’s most beautiful viewpoints (Miradouro de Santa Luzia and Miradouro das Portas do Sol).


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