Mother Church of Montargil

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Portalegre > Ponte de Sor > Montargil > Recochina

Location

The Mother Church of Montargil is prominently located in the town of Montargil, part of the municipality of Ponte de Sor. Situated in the area known as Recochina, it rises in the highest part of the village, becoming a visible landmark on its horizon. Its location offers a unique perspective on Montargil's urban surroundings.

An Enduring History

This Catholic temple has its historical roots in the late 16th century, a period when its original construction began. Over the centuries, the church underwent several interventions that shaped its current appearance. Significant works carried out in the 18th century, which gave it much of its Baroque configuration, stand out, and, more recently, a renovation in the 1960s. These phases of construction and restoration reflect its evolution and importance to the community over time.

Exterior and Architecture

The main facade of the Mother Church of Montargil exhibits a remarkable design, with a wide, scalloped profile, crowned by a cross flanked by decorative elements. On the left side, the bell tower rises, featuring four openings and topped by a hemispherical dome. The entrance portal, crafted in marble, is surmounted by an imposing choir window, embellished with a stained-glass window that allows light into the temple's interior. On the exterior of the old sacristy, a 17th-century wrought-iron grille, featuring floral motifs and the Cross of Christ at its center, merits attention for its artistic details.

The Interior and Its Details

Inside, the church reveals a Latin cross plan, organized into a single nave. Two collateral altars in the transept, crafted in gilded and painted carving, are examples of the Baroque-Joanine style from the first half of the 18th century. One of the side chapels, dedicated to the Lord of the Steps (Senhor dos Passos) and located on the right, is a notable example of late Baroque, dating from the last third of the 18th century. This chapel stands out for its polychrome coating and abundant stucco decoration on the walls and ceiling, with Rococo ornaments, as well as for its masonry altarpiece that masterfully simulates marble.

The chancel houses a marble altarpiece, dating from the 18th or 19th century, which frames the image of the Crucified Christ. Two side corbels support the representations of Saint Ildefonsus, the patron saint of the parish, and Our Lady of the Conception. Among the oldest elements of the temple, a holy water font with eight lobes, possibly medieval and a remnant of a primitive church, stands out, as does a Renaissance lavabo in marble, embedded in the wall of the old sacristy, featuring a figure in relief.

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