Life of St. Anthony
Born: Lisbon, 1195 | Died: Verona (Italy), 1231 | Canonized: 1232
Fernando Martins de Bulhões was born into a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal. He joined the Franciscan Order in 1220 and took the name António. He traveled to Italy and settled in Padua where he became a popular preacher.
His remains are enshrined in the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy. He was canonized in 1232, less than a year after his death. He is a Doctor of the Church and a patron of the poor. He is invoked for the return of lost property.
Church of St. Anthony
First chapel: 15th century | Current church: 18th century
The Church of St. Anthony (Igreja de Santo António in Portuguese) is located in the Alfama district, the oldest neighborhood of Lisbon. The site of the family house where St. Anthony was born is located very close to Lisbon Cathedral. In the 15th century, it was turned into a small chapel which was rebuilt in the early 16th century during the reign of King Manuel I. However, the chapel was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake that devastated much of Lisbon. In the aftermath of the earthquake, a decision was made to build a new Baroque-Rococo church on the site under the direction of the architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira. Construction began in 1767.