One church stood out. The Church of São Domingos has been through every type of natural disaster capable of happening in Portugal. The first stone was laid by King Sancho II in 1241 as the cornerstone of a convent. Since that time it has always been the grounds of prayer and worship. My first impression was shock. The church looked like it had suffered a fire, which it had in 1959. The walls and upper arches were crumbling like it had lived through and earthquake, which it had in 153. The wall frescos were completely washed away like it had been through a tsunamis, which it had in 1748. As recently as 1970 the church was put under the jurisdiction of another Catholic Church and really has no parish of its own. I felt a little sorry for this place of worship. It seems left behind and overlooked. It's central location in Lisbon means 1,000s of people walk by it each day but it wasn't crowded with tourists. Most of the people inside were deap in prayer.
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