Portimão Mother Church or Church of Our Lady of the Conception

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Faro > Portimão > Portimão > Centro

Architecture and Features

- The Main Church is the main religious temple in Portimão.

- It stands out for its main facade with a Gothic portal similar to that of the Batalha Monastery.

- The interior is composed of three naves separated by columns with Tuscan capitals.

- It has a triple chancel and four side chapels.

- The altar is decorated with gilded wood carvings.

- The 18th-century altarpieces of the main chapel and the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament are of interest.

- There are also notable images of Our Lady of Souls of Purgatory, Saint Peter, and Saint Gonçalo of Lagos, all from the 18th century.

- The holy water fonts in Silves sandstone have Manueline decorative motifs.

History and Reconstructions

- The church was built in the late 15th century, partially based on the Batalha Monastery.

- It suffered significant damage in the 1755 Earthquake and underwent extensive renovations in the 18th and 19th centuries.

- The portal and the holy water fonts are the only remaining elements of the original structure.

Archaeological Discoveries

- Between 2015 and 2016, archaeological work was carried out in the vicinity of the House of Nossa Senhora da Conceição.

- Roman remains were found, including ceramics and other materials from the period between 79 and 81 AD.

- Traces of buildings from the 16th to 18th centuries were also discovered.

- The area around the Main Church showed evidence of earthmoving between the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igreja_Matriz_de_Portimão

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