Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Bragança > Carrazeda de Ansiães > Pombal > São Lourenço
The Church of São Lourenço is located in the village of Pombal, part of the municipality of Carrazeda de Ansiães. The religious building stands out in the landscape, positioned prominently in relation to the village's houses.
The settlement develops harmoniously like a natural amphitheater, surrounded by ridges that characterize the region's landscape. A low wall defines the churchyard, separating the sacred space from the public road. It is flanked by a wooded area to the north and a square that establishes a visual and spatial connection with the cemetery to the southwest.
The temple features a style that combines influences of Baroque and Rococo religious architecture. Its structure consists of a single nave and a chancel, both rectangular in shape. The main facade culminates in a truncated gable, upon which rests a double bell tower with two full arches.
The entrance portal is straight, framed by pilasters and topped by a pediment interrupted by a large niche. In this niche, there is a crowned image of São Lourenço, the church's patron saint. The facades are whitewashed, contrasting with granite elements such as the quoins, cornices, and openings, which are crafted in ashlar masonry. There are also two symmetrical side doors in the nave and windows distributed along the side facades.
Inside, the nave houses a wooden choir loft, supported by two granite columns. Notable features include the rectangular pulpit, with a sculpted stone base and painted railing, and the small holy water fonts next to the side doors.
The church is particularly rich in carved woodwork. There are two lateral altarpieces in the nave and the main altarpiece in the chancel, all profusely decorated with gilded and polychrome wood carving, using shades of blue, red, and gold. The triumphal arch separating the nave from the chancel is also ornamented with carved woodwork.
The ceilings feature notable decoration. The nave ceiling, made of wood and in a flattened arch shape, is adorned with medallions and painted figures of the Apostles on a segmented blue background. The section preceding the chancel is composed of coffers, each with a painted panel representing figures identified by captions. In the chancel, the curved ceiling is decorated with painted coffers featuring ornamental, geometric, and vegetal motifs in blue and red, complementing the richness of the altars' carved woodwork.
The village of Pombal is mentioned in ancient records dating back to the 16th century, suggesting the existence of a community of some antiquity, and possibly already with a place of worship. The current parish church, dedicated to São Lourenço, was built in 1750.
Its construction was an initiative of Reverend António de Seixas, as attested by an inscription engraved on the rear facade of the chancel. Over the centuries, the building underwent several transformations, with references to later works and reforms, such as those that would have been carried out around 1895.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.2852921,-7.3579451
Coordinates DMS: 41°17'7.1"N 07°21'28.6"W
Weather Pombal
On-duty Pharmacy Pombal
