Belém Tower - east facing wall

Thanks to the Discoveries of the 15th and 16th centuries, Lisbon became the world’s main centre of commerce. In order to protect the city, King João II and King Manuel I devised a pioneering system of maritime defence. For this project, in the narrowest part of the Tagus bay (1,670 meters), D. Manuel I had the Tower of Belém built in 1514. As a result, crossfire between the two banks could be created to block the entry of enemy ships.