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Lisbon · Mysteries & legends

Dark Lisbon: inquisitors, ravens and a curse

A route through Lisbon's darkest episodes and most stubborn legends: the Inquisition on Rossio, the massacre of 1506, the matchmaking saint, the ravens of Saint Vincent and the curse of Santa Engrácia. At every stop we separate what the documents say from what tradition tells.

  • 5 stops
  • 2.4 km
  • 1 h 50 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Engraving of the former Inquisition palace on Rossio

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Rossio and the Inquisition palaceWhere a theatre now stands, Portugal's most feared court sat for more than two centuries.
  2. 2 Church of São DomingosA church with fire-cracked columns, where in 1506 the worst massacre in Lisbon's history began.
  3. 3 Church of Saint AnthonyAccording to tradition, Lisbon's best-loved saint was born here: the one who finds lost things and arranges marriages.
  4. 4 Lisbon Cathedral and the ravens of Saint VincentA boat, two ravens and a martyr's relics: the legend that became Lisbon's coat of arms.
  5. 5 Church of Santa Engrácia (National Pantheon)The church that took 284 years to finish, and the curse of a condemned young man who, so the story goes, predicted it.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Dark Lisbon: inquisitors, ravens and a curse

History without varnish

The Inquisition and the 1506 massacre happened here, and the city has chosen not to forget them.

Legends, clearly labelled

Guardian ravens, a saint born in a particular house and a curse: we tell you what is tradition and what is proven.

Visible traces

Fire-scarred columns, a monument with the Star of David and a dome that took centuries to close.

Keep exploring

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