Saint Christopher Church, parish church

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > São Cristóvão e São Lourenço

Location

, The Church of São Cristóvão is located at the top of the Escadinhas de São Cristóvão, in Largo de São Cristóvão, in Lisbon, within the historic Mouraria district.

, It is located near the Costa do Castelo de São Jorge, on a high point in the city.

Origin and History

, It was originally built in the 13th century, on the site where the old Hermitage of Santa Maria de Alcamim is believed to have existed, linked to the period of the Christian Reconquista.

, The church suffered a fire during the reign of D. Manuel I, and was subsequently rebuilt and expanded.

, In 1755, the earthquake caused little damage to the church, preserving much of its structure and collection.

Architecture and Art

, The church's facade is Mannerist, dating from the 17th century.

, The interior is richly decorated with gilded carvings and 36 paintings attributed to the painter Bento Coelho da Silveira.

, Also noteworthy are the ceiling paintings, created by artists such as Estêvão Amaro Pinheiro and Miguel dos Santos.

, The chapels are covered with polychrome tiles and the altars have details in marble and gilded carvings.

, The ceiling of the main nave is adorned with a central painting of angels, around a Baroque monstrance.

Notable Elements

, The current mortuary chapels contain tombs of the Miranda family, with Gothic inscriptions.

, On the portal of the North facade there is a Latin inscription that can be observed by visitors.

, Next to the Main Chapel, there are tombstones with inscriptions that relate the history of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament.

Cultural Heritage

, The Church of São Cristóvão is one of the few that escaped the 1755 earthquake with minimal damage, maintaining most of its artistic heritage.

, It is part of the World Monuments Watch list, which includes sites of global importance that need preservation.

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igreja_de_São_Cristóvão_(Lisboa)

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