Church of Our Lady of Expectation

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Porto > Maia > Castêlo da Maia > Areosa

Location

The Church of Our Lady of Expectation is located in Areosa, an area belonging to Castêlo da Maia, in the municipality of Maia. It is situated in a flat, peri-urban area, standing out in the center of the old parish of Santa Maria de Avioso. Its churchyard, paved with basalt and adorned with decorative patterns in dark-colored granite, invites visitors to approach and serves as an elegant preface to the temple's entrance.

History and Community Legacy

Although the current building of the Church of Our Lady of Expectation was inaugurated in 1992, with its first stone laid in 1989, the parish to which it belongs has much older roots, dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The modern church project, designed by architect António Corte-Real, resulted in a large building capable of welcoming a significant number of faithful and visitors, continuing the religious tradition of a place with a long history.

The construction of this modern church was a significant moment of community unity. As a testament to the faith and participation of its inhabitants, a parchment with over three thousand signatures was sealed in a stone during the first celebration in the new space in 1991. This symbolic gesture was accompanied by the deposit of letters from several prominent religious figures, including a message from Pope John Paul II, marking the deep connection between the temple and the population and consolidating its role as a spiritual and cultural center for Castêlo da Maia.

Architecture and Exterior Details

The main façade of the church, facing west, combines the solidity of granite with the vibrancy of patterned tile panels in shades of blue and white. These tiles depict Our Lady of Expectation and Saint Joseph, flanking the main portal. The entrance door, an imposing bronze piece, stands out as a unique point of interest. The exterior aesthetic is complemented by the bell tower, which is distinguished by housing a carillon of fourteen bells, whose chimes punctuate the life of the surrounding community.

The Interior and the Richness of Sacred Art

The interior of the Church of Our Lady of Expectation reveals a remarkable collection of sacred art. Among the various works that adorn the space, the Stained Glass of the Resurrection stands out for its grandeur and beauty. Created by the painter Zita Magalhães and executed in Milan, it is considered the largest stained glass window in Portugal, covering an impressive area of 72 square meters.

In the same setting, the image of Christ, a bronze sculpture 3.5 meters high and weighing 310 kilograms by Laureano Ribatua, and the tabernacle, also in bronze and by the same sculptor, are pieces of particular artistic and devotional expression. The Stations of the Cross, composed of fourteen bronze panels sculpted by Bruno Marques, further enrich the visual journey within the temple. It is noteworthy that this church also preserves important gilded woodcarving altarpieces, elements that refer to the rich artistic heritage of previous constructions on the site, linking the present to the past.

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