Parish Church of Samil / Church of Our Lady of the Assumption

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Bragança > Bragança > Samil

Location

The Parish Church of Samil, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, is located in the village of Samil, in the municipality of Bragança. The temple is situated within the village, set in a square surrounded by dwellings and fields, giving it a tranquil atmosphere characteristic of a Transmontana village. In front of the church lies the parish cemetery.

Historical Roots

Traces of the Church of Samil in history date back to very ancient times. Medieval documents, such as the Inquiries of D. Afonso III from 1258, already mention the existence of the "villa de Saamir" and its church, indicating that the property and patronage of the temple largely belonged to the crown at that time, with the inhabitants responsible for its maintenance and paying rent. Tithes were divided between the Archbishop of Braga and the local parish priest.

Throughout the Middle Ages, Samil was part of Bragança's "ourolos," a group of settlements with specific obligations towards the city's council. Among these responsibilities were "bellar e roldar" (watching and patrolling) the walls of Bragança during the night, cleaning certain streets and the prison in the city, and mandatory participation in the most important processions, often carrying the litter of Saint Christopher, patron saint of master farmers. This secular link with the life of the city of Bragança gives the church and the village an interesting historical-social context.

Ecclesiastical Connection

The ecclesiastical dependence of the Church of Samil varied over the centuries. At different periods, it was linked to the monastery of Castro de Avelãs and to the Church of Santa Maria, the matrix church of Bragança. Its connection to Bragança's matrix church made it an annexed parish, with its revenues (first fruits) belonging to the commendam of the matrix church and the parish priest being presented by the prior of Santa Maria.

This historical ecclesiastical organization was reflected in the functioning of the parish. Even in the 19th century, records show that the tithes owed by the inhabitants of Samil were collected in the local church's granary (tulha). The building's maintenance also demonstrated its link to Bragança's matrix church, which contributed financially to the preservation of the Samil temple, underlining the church's importance to the region's religious and administrative structure.

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