3 Best Sights in Chiado and Bairro Alto, Lisbon

This church, completed in 1574, was one of the earliest Jesuit buildings in the world; the attached museum is home to one of Portugal's most comprehensive collections of religious art. While the church's exterior is somewhat plain and austere, the inside is dazzling, with abundant use of gold and marble—the only remaining example in Lisbon of the painted ceilings from the mannerist period. Eight side chapels have statuary and art dating from the early 17th century. The last chapel on the left before the altar is the extraordinary 18th-century Capela de São João Baptista (Chapel of St. John the Baptist), designed and built in Rome, then taken apart, shipped to Lisbon, and reassembled here in 1747.

This convent from 1670 was never open to the public until 2014, after the last nuns moved out. Although it stands across from one of the city’s most famous viewpoints, it remains an under-the-radar stop. The church and chapel are free to visit any day, while the rest of the building can be seen on guided tours (in Portuguese), which usually take place on the second Sunday of the month. The baroque church stands between two wings of the convent; most of its interior dates from 1758, after the devastating 1755 earthquake left it slightly damaged. The older paintings were originally in the colossal convent and palace of Mafra, while the tile panels were added in the late 1700s and illustrate scenes from the life of St. Peter of Alcántara. Another highlight is a cardinal’s funerary chapel, covered in inlaid marble.

This is one of Lisbon’s richest and most beautiful churches but one of the least visited, despite its central location on the edge of Bairro Alto. The baroque and rococo interior is a monumental mix of gilded wood carvings and stucco decoration, added in 1727 to a building that dates from 1647. The organ is considered a masterpiece of gilded woodwork, while the altar is a highlight of the art commissioned during the wealthy reign of King João V, with sculptures brought from Flanders. Two of Portugal’s most prominent 18th-century artists (Vieira Lusitano and André Gonçalves) are responsible for the large paintings in golden frames on the side walls. There are more treasures in the attached museum (open from 9-1).