A monument to the wealth of the Age of Discovery, the monastery is the
culmination of Manueline architecture. commissioned by Manuel I in around
1501, after Vasco da Gama’s return from his historic voyage, it was financed
largely by “pepper money”, a tax levied on spices precious stones and gold.
Various masterbuilders worked on the building, the most notable of whom was
Diogo Boitac, replaced by João de Castilho in 1517. The monastery was cared
for by the Order of St Jerome (Hieronymites) until 1834, when all religious
orders were disbanded.