Day 3 in my seven-day series of earring designs dedicated to the seven wonders of the world, comes from a list of Seven Wonders of Portugal. Since Portugal is my country of birth and a rich part of my cultural background, I felt the need to include it this week.
Built in 1521 and now a Unesco World Heritage Site, the Torre de Belém (Tower of Belém) is located in Belém, Portugal just outside Lisbon. Constructed of lioz limestone, this fortified tower is a prominent example of the Manueline Style in Portuguese architecture. The tower was commissioned by Portuguese King John II to be both part of a defense system at the mouth of the Tagus River, as well as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon:
The Torre de Belém is among one of my favorite places to visit when I’m in Portugal. The romance of seeing a castle-like structure seemingly floating on the water is one draw for me; another is that only in Belém can you get the famous “pasteis de Belém”, or sweet custard Belém tarts:
My earring design inspired by the Torre de Belém follows:
And, here I am two summers ago sitting near the Torre de Belém on my first day of vacation in Portugal with my husband:
Please come back tomorrow to see my earring design inspired by the Taj Mahal!
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