Tribute in the National Pantheon of Heroes

The National Pantheon (Panteão Nacional), originally the Catholic Church of Santa Engrácia (Igreja de Santa Engrácia), is a Baroque building. Originally, it was dedicated to a martyr from Braga, Santa Engrácia. The church was commissioned by Princess Maria, daughter of King Manuel I, in 1568, but the old church collapsed in 1681, and the current church was built on the same site. However, construction began in 1682 and was not completed until the 20th century, as King João V lost interest in building the church and focused resources on constructing the Mafra Palace instead. As a result, in Portugal, Obras de Santa Engrácia (the Works of Santa Engrácia) has become synonymous with unfinished projects. Regarding Santa Engrácia, it is said that during her journey from Braga to Zaragoza, she learned of the persecution of local Christians by the governor and attempted to dissuade him. Later, when people discovered she was a Christian, she was whipped and imprisoned, eventually dying as a result. Many others were martyred at the same time, and these individuals are known as the Martyrs of Zaragoza. In 1966, during the Salazar regime, the Church of Santa Engrácia was converted into the National Pantheon of Heroes. In addition to housing the tombs of important Portuguese figures, there are also many monuments, including those of Camões, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Álvares Cabral, the first European to reach Brazil, Afonso de Albuquerque, who established the Portuguese colony in India, known as the 'Duke of Goa', and Prince Henry the Navigator, who initiated the Age of Great Discoveries in Europe. From here, one can also view the seaside of Lisbon.