Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Lisboa > Lourinhã > Lourinhã > Lourinhã e Atalaia
The Church of Santa Maria do Castelo stands in an elevated position in the locality of Lourinhã, in the area of Lourinhã and Atalaia. This location offers it a wide perspective over the urban surroundings, making it a visual landmark in the town and inviting a peaceful exploration of its immediate vicinity, where the castle that gave it its name once stood.
The building admired today, classified as a National Monument, is a remarkable example of Portuguese Gothic style, dating from the late 14th century. Its construction is attributed to D. Lourenço Vicente, Archbishop of Braga, who was a native of Lourinhã and a close friend of D. João I. The church was built between 1384 and 1397, reflecting the constructive fervor of the era. Before the current Gothic temple, a primitive Romanesque church stood on the same site, erected in the 12th century by D. Jordão, a French knight to whom D. Afonso Henriques granted these lands, marking a period of great importance in the history of Lourinhã.
The Church of Santa Maria do Castelo is characterized by its three-nave plan, with the central nave higher and illuminated by a clerestory, which allows natural light to enter. The naves are separated by ogival arches resting on columns with carved capitals. On its main facade, a portal with five archivolts and pointed arches stands out. The capitals of this portal are rich in detail, featuring figures and scenes that allude to the Old and New Testaments, such as angels, the Crucifixion, and the Holy Women. Above the portal, a beautiful traceried rose window adorns the triangular gable. Inside, the capitals of the eight columns of the nave arches are one of the highlights of the church: each one is different, displaying highly naturalistic vegetal motifs, considered an expression of remarkable perfection in Portuguese Gothic art.
Over the centuries, the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo underwent various phases of adaptation and transformation. In the late 17th century, it underwent significant alterations, which included the walling up of facades with stones from the old castle and the modification of the rose window. The interior was plastered, covering some of its original Gothic windows. However, between 1931 and 1935, the church was the target of careful restoration work. This process aimed to free the Gothic facades from later additions, restore the portals and the rose window, and remove the interior plaster, allowing the original stone and the Gothic design of the building to be fully appreciated once again.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 39.2430541,-9.3154293
Coordinates DMS: 39°14'35.0"N 09°18'55.5"W
Weather Lourinhã
On-duty Pharmacy Lourinhã
