St. Peter's Square

Category: Nature > Garden

District: Aveiro > Vale de Cambra > São Pedro de Castelões > Igreja

Location

Saint Peter's Square is located in the heart of São Pedro de Castelões, a village in the municipality of Vale de Cambra. Situated in what is known as the "Church Place" (Lugar da Igreja), this square marks the oldest center of the parish. Despite urban expansion, the site maintains an atmosphere that still evokes its rural roots, serving as a meeting point and reference for the community.

This landscaped area and its surroundings offer a glimpse into the past and local identity, defining a northwest boundary with the parish cemetery and flanked to the east by the Parish Council building, whose current structure dates back to the early 20th century.

The Churchyard and its Environment

What visitors know as Saint Peter's Square is, in fact, the expansive churchyard that precedes the parish church of São Pedro de Castelões. This space is notable for its impressive staircase, an element that organizes its form and invites ascent. The churchyard, as it appears today, underwent a significant renovation in 1904, contributing to its current configuration and atmosphere.

Walking through this site, one can appreciate the sobriety of the granite stonework that makes up the structural and decorative elements, a robust and traditional material in the region's architecture, which lends durability and an authentic character to the ensemble.

Architectural Details of the Church

The square is defined by the imposing presence of the Parish Church of Saint Peter, whose main facade faces west. The most visible face of the church was renovated in 1885, as indicated by an inscription above the portal. The church has two bell towers, distinct elements of its silhouette, with the completion of the north tower's finial only occurring in 1995, giving it its final form.

Outside, one can also observe the art of Júlio Resende, as a bronze sculpture of Saint Peter is placed in a niche at the base of the north tower, also inaugurated in 1995, which adds a contemporary touch to the historic facade. Although the church's architecture is predominantly Mannerist, with its longitudinal plan of three naves, a feature uncommon in the region's parish churches, its lateral elevations and frontispiece reveal the evolution of its construction throughout the 17th to 19th centuries, marked by pilasters, cornices, and pinnacles.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt