The church was dedicated in 1241 and was, at one time, the largest church in Lisbon.[2] Prior to the establishment of the modern Portuguese republic in 1910, the church typically hosted Portuguese royal weddings.[2] Formerly the home of the Inquisition, Jesuit missionary Gabriel Malagrida was famously executed at the church in 1761 after being accused of treason.[2] In 1506, the church and the church square were the scenes of the Lisbon massacre when thousands of New Christians (previously converted Jews) were murdered by the Christian mob.[3]
Interior showing fire damage
The church was damaged by the 1531 Lisbon earthquake and almost completely destroyed in the 1755 earthquake.[4] Rebuilding began quickly but wasn't completed until 1807.[5] In 1959 the church was devastated once more when a fire broke out in the building.[6] The fire, which killed two firefighters, took more than six hours to extinguish and completely gutted the church, destroying many important paintings and statues.[6] In 1994 the church reopened.[7] The restoration left many signs of the fire in place.[7]
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