Arrábida Convent, built in the 16th century, occupies 25 hectares; and is divided into the Old Convent, located on top of the hill, the New Convent, half way down the slope, the Garden and the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus. On top of the hill, four chapels, the niches representing the mysteries of the passion of Jesus Christ together with cells in the rocks make up what we call today the Old Convent. This convent was founded in 1542 by Brother Martinho de Santa Maria, Castilian Franciscan friar, to whom D.João de Lencastre (1501-1571), the first duke of Aveiro, granted the land on the slope. Before the Old Convent was built, there was the chapel of Memory, a place of significant pilgrimage, where for two years the first four Arrábida monks lived in cells in the rocks: Martinho de Santa Maria, Diogo de Lisboa, Francisco Pedraita and São Pedro de Alcântara.

When the religious orders were abolished in 1834, the convent, the cells and the chapels on the hill were
plundered, abandoned and severely damaged. In 1863, the family of Palmela bought the convent, but only in the 1940s and 50s did the rehabilitation works begin. Forty years later, in 1990, the owner at the time, Manuel de Souza Holstein Beck, sold the convent and the surrounding area (25 hectares in total) to the Oriente Foundation, which in his view was the only institution that could guarantee the preservation of the same values with which their predecessors had offered the convent in the 16th century to the Arrábida monks.

DIRECTIONS

TRAVESSIA TROIA | SETÚBAL – Catamaran or Ferry
Look up Atlantic Ferries timetable HERE

FROM SETÚBAL – (15 km) Road up the mountain to the convent (EN 379-1), until you see a sign indicating the direction to the convent (15Km).
GPS 38º 28’’ 27.34N | 8º 59’’ 45.05W