Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Portalegre > Elvas > Elvas > Assunção, Ajuda, Salvador e Santo Ildefonso
The Church of Salvador is located in Elvas and dates back to the 13th century, having been initially dedicated to Santiago in 1282. It was possibly built by the Knights of the Order of the Sword and included an attached hospital for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
In the 17th century, the church and the surrounding land were donated to the Jesuits, at the initiative of King D. Afonso VI, who intended to create a college of the Society of Jesus. This college was inaugurated in 1692, after several donations and adjustments over the years.
The Jesuit college housed Grammar and Mathematics classes, with the Belgian Thomaz Audueno as one of its teachers. It was attended by Prince D. Teodósio and other important figures of the time, such as André de Albuquerque, hero of the Battle of the Lines of Elvas.
The church was integrated into the House of Bragança and received a priory that included a rector, a curate, and six beneficiaries. After the expulsion of the Jesuits, the assets were sold or transferred to the University, and the building began to be used for other purposes.
After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1770, the building came to have several uses, including serving as a private college, seminary, and later, it housed the Municipal Museum, the Library, and various city schools, such as the Elvas High School.
Although part of the original history of the medieval church has been lost, the Church of Salvador, in the context of the Jesuit college, maintains architectural features that reflect the religious and educational importance of the time in Elvas.
Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Igreja_do_Salvador_-_Elvas_-_Portugal_(51984819850).jpg
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.87917154171541,-7.162264193251552
Coordinates DMS: 38°52'45.0"N 07°09'44.2"W
Weather Elvas
On-duty Pharmacy Elvas
