Mother Church of Nespereira

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Porto > Lousada > Nespereira > Nespereira e Casais

Location

The Mother Church of Nespereira is located in the town of Nespereira, within the Nespereira e Casais area, in the municipality of Lousada. Positioned in the heart of this community, the church marks the urban landscape of the parish, serving as a point of reference for its inhabitants and for those who visit it.

A History of Centuries

The origins of the Mother Church of Nespereira date back to the Middle Ages, testifying to a long and continuous evolution over the centuries. This religious building has been the stage for various transformations, some so ancient that they have been lost in collective memory, others more recent and still present in the community's recollections. A 1758 document, the parochial memoir of Abbot Gaspar Teixeira Alvares, described the church with three altars: the main altar dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, its patron saint at the time, an altar with the image of Saint Blaise, and another with that of Our Lady of Carmel.

The Current Appearance

The image we see today of the Mother Church is the result of significant interventions carried out in the mid-20th century. In 1945, the parish erected the bell tower, an element that has since punctuated the church's silhouette. However, the most profound changes occurred in the 1960s, when the church, due to its reduced size and state of conservation, underwent extensive remodeling. Although the construction of a new building was considered, the final decision led to the expansion of the existing one. The works included the demolition of part of the north wing to enlarge the interior space, giving the church its current appearance and improving its integration into Nespereira's growing urban fabric.

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