As we walked out of Lisbon Cathedral, we walked about about half a block before we encountered the Church of Saint Anthony.
Fes remarked, “Who puts a church in front of another church?”
The answer is Lisbon, apparently.
This church is free to visit. There are only a few rooms open to the public, but this is also an active church. When we walked in late Friday morning, there was a service underway. Thus, we didn’t get to prowl around the main church.
However, there was an ornate side room filled with statues and altars, complete with elaborate tile work halfway up the wall.
Oh, is that paper scrolling in that cross? That’s neat. Oh hey, that might be gold and… OH MY STARS THAT’S MORE HUMAN REMAINS.
There is also a small crypt beneath the church, dedicated to Saint Anthony. I didn’t get a photo of the altar down there because the room was tiny and full of people, but I was amused by this:
If I die and my bones are sliced apart and displayed in the hospital room where I was born… well, I was going to say I’d be angry, but it’s actually kind of metal now that I think about it. Good on you, Saint Anthony.
And finally, just inside the entrance of the church is this window full of perfectly ordinary, happy plants. After a whole morning of perusing golden artifacts and bejeweled clothes, the sight of these living, lovely plants was surprising and refreshing.
