Belfry (1790)

Category: Civil Architecture > Tower

District: Leiria > Leiria > Leiria > Bairro dos Anjos

Location

Leiria's Bell Tower is located in Largo D. Manuel de Arriaga, a central city square, in the area known as Bairro dos Anjos. Its elevated position allows it to be seen from various points, naturally integrating into the surrounding urban landscape and serving as a distinctive landmark for those exploring the historic center.

Origin and Purpose

This unique structure was erected around 1790, by order of Bishop D. Frei Miguel de Bulhões e Sousa. One of its most notable peculiarities is its construction separate from Leiria Cathedral's building, which is unusual for a bell tower. Its erection in a prominent location, atop the old bulwark of Porta do Sol, which marked one of the main accesses to the castle, had a practical purpose: to ensure that the sound of its bells reached the most distant areas of the city, accompanying the urban growth of the time.

Architecture and Symbolism

The Bell Tower stands out for its Baroque style architecture. Its base is quadrangular, culminating at the top in an elegant pyramid, crowned by an angel that functions as a weather vane. In its body, there are six bells, two on each face, cast in João Craveiro's workshops under the commission of Bishop D. Manuel Aguiar. For a long time, the largest of these bells played a crucial role in Leiria's civic life, being used to signal significant events, such as fires, through specific tolls, revealing its importance as a means of communication for the community.

Legacy and Memory

Besides its original function, the tower's ground floor had a particular history, serving at times as a prison. This lesser-known facet of the Bell Tower adds a layer of interest to its historical narrative. Today, its importance is officially recognized: since 2014, the Bell Tower has been classified as a National Monument, a testament to its heritage value and its relevance to Leiria's cultural identity.

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