Church of Our Lady of the Conception

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Castelo Branco > Covilhã > Peraboa > Centro

Location:

The Church of Our Lady of Conception is located in the central area of Peraboa, benefiting from an elevated position that adapts to the slight slope of the site. Its main facade opens onto a wide square that is part of the village's Public Garden.

This urban setting, surrounded by public roads, offers views over the Zêzere valley from the adjacent garden. The presence of plane trees in the surrounding area contributes to a pleasant atmosphere at this central point of the locality.

A Secular History:

The origins of the church date back to an ancient Convent of Saint Francis, whose initial foundation is estimated to have occurred around 1235. The convent, with its associated church, moved to its current location still in the 13th century, benefiting from donations and royal support throughout the following centuries.

The structure we see today is the result of several phases of construction and remodeling from the 15th to the 20th centuries. A significant fire in the early 19th century affected part of the old convent, leading to reconstructions in the church that shaped its current appearance and its transition to a parish church in the mid-19th century.

Architecture Marked by Time:

The church features a Latin cross plan with a prominent transept. On its main facade, a mixture of styles is noticeable, with an axial portal hinting at the original medieval structure. Elements such as the cornice supported by corbels on the right side facade also bear witness to older periods.

The building underwent various interventions over time, with emphasis on alterations in the 17th and 18th centuries, the remodeling of the main facade in the 19th century with a revivalist touch, and significant works in the 20th century which included the addition of stellar vaults in the nave and the choir loft, built in a revivalist style. The bell tower, approximately 33 meters high, is a distinctive element of the facade.

Art and Memories Inside:

Upon entering the church, the nave, with its exposed stonework structure and 20th-century stellar vaults, leads to the transept, where some of the most notable elements are found.

The ends of the transept house funerary chapels with arcosolia that preserve tombs of members of the important Castro family, with their recumbent effigies and coats of arms. One of the tombs is also associated with Jorge Cabral, brother of Pedro Álvares Cabral. The chancel, in turn, stands out for its gilded carved altarpiece in national style, and for its coffered ceiling with paintings and carvings.

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