Gothic Portal of the old Benedita Parish Church

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Leiria > Alcobaça > Benedita > Complexo Paroquial Benedita

Location

The Gothic Portico is located in the Benedita Parish Complex, a village belonging to the municipality of Alcobaça. Situated in the churchyard of the current Parish Church, to the left of its main entrance, this historical element marks the urban landscape of the locality, integrating itself into the daily life of the community.

A Window to the Past

This portico is a remnant of the old mother church of Benedita, whose history is linked to the founding of the parish in 1532. However, historical records indicate that in the mid-12th century, there was already a hermitage dedicated to Nossa Senhora Benedicta at the site, serving as the first house of prayer for the monks of Saint Bernard, part of the Coutos de Alcobaça. The portico, with its three-arch architecture, emerged later, in harmony with the Gothic style of the time, albeit in a simpler form than the iconic portico of the Alcobaça Monastery. For centuries, this building served as the community's main place of worship.

Symbol of Memory and Identity

With the passage of time and the needs of a growing population, the old church that housed this portico was eventually demolished in the mid-20th century, and its stones dispersed. However, the importance of the portico as a symbol of Benedita's oldest history and its identity remained, being even represented in the parish's heraldry. This strong bond led to a recovery and valorization project. The original stones of the portico were carefully collected and reintegrated into a new structure, which, without being an exact reconstruction of the past, values its image as a living imaginary for the inhabitants of Benedita. The final piece, with its original shape but with a contemporary touch, serves as a point of contemplation on the village's history and cultural resilience.

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