Belém, Historia, Política, Arquitectura y Fotografía

The symbolic significance of Belém, home to Lisbon's iconic Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém, was shaped by 19th-century photographic practices and political ideologies. These monuments, emblematic of Portugal's Age of Discoveries, gained prominence during the tricentennial celebrations of Camões in the late 1800s. Earlier, they were captured in stereoscopic photographs, particularly by Portuguese and foreign photographers, who framed them as exotica due to their Manueline style—decorative elements inspired by maritime and natural motifs from around 1500. This study analyzes how photography, history, and ideology intersected to cement Belém's role as a key site of collective memory in Portugal, questioning the medium's role in constructing visual narratives aligned with bourgeois desires.

Pinheiro, N. (2023). Belém, Historia, Política, Arquitectura y Fotografía. Abaton. Revista de Figuración, Representación E Imágenes de La Arquitectura, 1, 149–157. https://doi.org/10.5209/abat.57013