Church of Saint Blase

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Évora > Évora > Évora > Bairro do Baluarte

Location

Located in the Baluarte neighborhood, in Évora, the Church of São Brás stands in a more open area, slightly set back from the city's walled historic center, in what was once the Rossio de São Brás. Its position, on a platform that overcomes a natural slope of the terrain, gives it remarkable visibility, making it stand out in the surrounding urban landscape.

Origins and Devotion

The Church of São Brás, originally a hermitage, was built by order of King John II. Its construction began around 1482 and it was opened for worship in 1490. The chosen location was not by chance; a temporary infirmary had existed there, created to house those suffering from a severe plague epidemic that affected the country between 1479 and 1480. Popular devotion to Saint Blaise, invoked in times of illness, motivated this construction, symbolizing the community's hope and faith in the face of adversity.

Unique Architecture

This monument, classified as National Heritage, is a striking example of religious architecture. It presents a unique style, Manueline-Mudéjar, which became a distinctive feature in many Alentejo buildings. The church stands out for its robust and stepped volumes, crowned by battlements, and for the innovative use of cylindrical buttresses with conical finials, a characteristic that would influence other constructions in the region. The main facade reveals a narthex with three large ogival arches, resting on half-columns decorated with vegetal motifs, flanked by cylindrical towers that emphasize its solidity. Along the building, it is possible to observe interesting granite gargoyles, with zoomorphic figures, which add a picturesque detail to the whitewashed ensemble.

The Interior and its Marks

Inside, the Church of São Brás has a single nave covered by a barrel vault. The walls are adorned with 16th-century tiles, with green and white geometric patterns, reflecting the influence of Mudéjar art. The 18th-century side altars display gilded wood carvings, while the chancel houses an altarpiece, also in gilded wood, which frames a wooden sculpture of the patron saint. Despite some paintings of archaic style and Flemish influence, the history of the temple is marked by significant damage suffered in 1663 due to bombardments. Although restored, the church lost traces of original mural decorations. Nevertheless, it is still possible to glimpse in some areas of the facade remnants of a sgraffito frieze, with Manueline emblems and geometric motifs, which tell part of its long history of resilience.

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