Parochial Church of Santa Comba / Church of Our Lady of Pleasures

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Guarda > Vila Nova de Foz Côa > Santa Comba

Location

The church is located in the village of Santa Comba, in the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa. It stands in the main square, in a peaceful urban setting, with its Portuguese pavement (calçada portuguesa) and granite details inviting a leisurely stroll and contemplation of its exterior.

Roots and Transformations Through the Centuries

The roots of this ancient temple date back to the 13th century, when a primitive church, then dedicated to Santa Maria da Veiga, stood on this site. Over the centuries, the church underwent significant transformations. In the 15th century, the 11th Master of the Order of Christ, D. Manuel, played a crucial role in its development, contributing to the construction of the building, which was dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Pranto.

However, it was in the 18th century, after the damage caused by the 1755 earthquake, that the church acquired much of its current appearance, with a profound rebuilding and expansion completed in 1757, under the leadership of Abbot António Esteves Pereira, as noted by an inscription on one of the main façade's cornerstones. A curious detail of its history is the discovery, in 1935, of a Roman altar dedicated to Jupiter, found under one of the altars during restoration work, revealing even older layers of occupation on this site.

The Exterior Architecture

The church's architecture combines influences from the Manueline and Baroque styles, a fusion immediately visible on its main façade. This features a notable portal with a round arch, richly decorated with five archivolts. On them, one can admire a profusion of Manueline motifs, such as rosettes, palmettes, scallops, ropes, and fleurs-de-lis, flanked by richly decorated colonnettes and buttresses.

Above the portal, a niche houses the image of Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres, flanked by two shields with the royal arms and armillary spheres, symbols of the Age of Discoveries. The bell tower, with its three bell openings, crowns the façade's gable, giving it a distinctive silhouette. The simpler side façades have transverse doors and straight-lintel windows, framed by granite, some of which feature volutes typical of the Baroque period.

The Interior Splendor

Upon entering, visitors encounter a bright, three-aisled space, supported by eight cylindrical columns with Ionic capitals, which divide the vast interior into four bays. The walls, plastered and painted white, enhance the brightness of the environment. The wooden ceilings are one of the highlights of the visit: in the central nave, a false barrel vault displays a rich figurative painting, while the side aisles feature half-groin vaults with representations of the Scenes of the Passion.

The altars, in gilded and polychrome carving, enrich the ambiance, notably the granite pulpit, with its octagonal and chalice shape, resting on an ornamented cylindrical column. The chancel, slightly raised by steps, is a true artistic treasure, with a granite slab floor and a barrel vault decorated with twenty-seven painted coffers, narrating episodes from the Life of Christ and the Virgin. The main altarpiece, in gilded and polychrome carving, dominates the space, with its twisted columns profusely ornamented with angels, intertwined acanthus leaves, birds, and floral garlands, culminating in an elaborately decorated central tribune and a magnificent tabernacle.

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