Church of Our Lady of the Assumption / Church of Our Lady of the Snows

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Bragança > Alfândega da Fé > Sambade > Sítio de Sambade

Location

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, also known as the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, is prominently situated in the Sítio de Sambade, rising in a wide square in the centre of the village.

The churchyard surrounding the church contributes to its distinction, featuring a Portuguese pavement with geometric patterns, landscaped areas with lawn and trees that invite a moment of rest on the benches placed in the space. To the left of the church, there is also a bandstand, an integral part of this environment that frames the temple.

A Building with History

This temple dates back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, having likely been built on the foundations of a previous religious structure. Its existence as an abbey is already recorded at the beginning of the 18th century, demonstrating its long connection to the local community.

Due to its historical and architectural value, the church has been classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1935, a recognition of its importance in the region's cultural heritage.

The Exterior Architecture

The church presents a combination of styles spanning Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical. On the exterior, the main facade facing west stands out, with its arched entrance portal flanked by columns, topped by a pediment and surmounted by a window with curved shapes, a detail that is repeated in the side doors.

The bell tower, approximately 22 metres high, dominates the left facade, with its different registers, including a clock and the bell chambers topped by pinnacles and a bulbous spire. The granite stonework is visible in the quoins, door and window frames, and other decorative elements that enrich the facades.

The Treasures of the Interior

Upon entering the church, the visitor encounters a space organized into a nave and chancel. The interior ceiling is a false wooden vault. One of the main points of interest are the various carved altarpieces present.

The lateral and collateral altarpieces, of late Rococo production and richly polychromed with gilded accents, display detailed and expressive work. The main altarpiece, at the back of the chancel, features a Neoclassical style, with its structure painted white and gold details, filling the entire end wall.

Other notable interior elements include the symmetrically arranged pulpits in the nave, confessionals embedded in the walls, the baptistery at the base of the bell tower, and the holy water fonts. In the chancel, the decorative painting on the ceiling is noteworthy, in a "trompe l'oeil" representation that simulates a balustrade and integrates the figure of Christ and the four Evangelists.

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