Church of Our Lady of Sorrows

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Coimbra > Pampilhosa da Serra > Pessegueiro > Malhada da Serra

Location

The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows (Nossa Senhora das Dores) is located in the Malhada da Serra urbanization, in the locality of Pessegueiro, belonging to the municipality of Pampilhosa da Serra, in the district of Coimbra. It is situated right in the center of the village, on the left bank of the Unhais river, enjoying an isolated position. Its main facade overlooks a small staircase, flanked by trees and various plants, providing a serene and inviting setting.

Architecture and Contrast

This religious temple features architecture with a clear regional character, developed between the 18th and 20th centuries, expressed in a longitudinal plan. The church's volume is notable for its horizontality, which strikingly contrasts with the verticality of the bell tower. The main facade, facing east, is divided into three sections by pilasters, with the central body higher and topped by a triangular cornice. The main door is rectangular, crowned by a triangular pediment, and above it, a broken-arch balcony window and a round oculus illuminate the choir loft. Inside, a single large nave with a wooden ceiling receives light through the facade windows and other lateral openings.

Artistic Heritage

Inside the church, several elements of artistic value stand out. In the Chapel of the Sacrament, next to the nave, there is a notable 16th-century altarpiece in polychrome Ançã stone, which may have come from a Coimbra workshop of João de Ruão's time. This altarpiece is composed of two sections: the lower, with Corinthian pilasters and a three-tiered tabernacle, displays sculptures of Saint Catherine and Saint Lucy in the lateral niches; the upper, lower section is adorned with baluster columns and figures of musical angels. Additionally, Neo-Gothic altarpieces of carved wood can be observed, with ogival niches housing various images. Also noteworthy are a late 18th-century polychrome wooden sculpture representing Our Lady of the Rosary, and a more recent sculpture, from the late 19th or early 20th century, of Our Lady of Weeping or Piety.

Historical Trajectory

The presence of this church in the region is ancient, dating back to documents from 1260, where it was already referenced during the division of parishes. In 1320, under the pontificate of Pope John XXII, the temple was again mentioned in a papal bull, linking it to subsidies for the war against the Moors and to the Diocese of Guarda. Its current appearance is the result of various phases of intervention over the centuries, with an important reconstruction in the second half of the 16th century, which included the Altarpiece of the Sacrament, and a significant renovation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which gave it the character we know today. In 1999, the building benefited from a restoration that covered the flooring, roofs, plasters, paintings, and the application of tiles, contributing to its conservation.

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