Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Viana do Castelo > Melgaço > Remoães > Portela, Gondomar e Corga
Located in the village of Remoães, in the municipality of Melgaço, this church is situated in a picturesque valley, near the banks of the Minho River, which marks the border between Portugal and Spain. The church stands on a slightly elevated platform, forming a welcoming churchyard. This space is paved with flagstones and protected by a stone wall, sometimes adorned with pots.
An old cylindrical holy water font rests on the ground here. The slope of the terrain is visible, especially on the rear facade, where a set of stone stairs leads to the main access to the churchyard. In front, at a lower level, lies the old parish cemetery, next to a more recent cemetery.
Dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, the Parish Church of Remoães is an example of the religious architecture of the period, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. Its structure is simple, with a single nave leading to a chancel, slightly lower and narrower.
The facades, plastered and painted white, are notable for their granite ashlar base and pilasters at the corners. The main facade, facing west, features a depressed arch portal with a distinct frame and a similarly profiled upper window, emphasizing its verticality and the gable end crowned by a cross. On the left side, a two-story rectangular bell tower houses the bell, with a perfect round arch opening. Interestingly, on the right side facade, a circular sundial can be seen, a detail that adds a unique touch to the building.
The history of this parish is recorded since the beginning of the 17th century, with the first entries of baptisms and deaths dated 1622 and marriages in 1623. It is noteworthy that the church did not suffer significant damage during the Great Earthquake of 1755, a testament to its robustness.
The Parish Memoirs of 1758 offer a glimpse into the religious and social life of the time, indicating that the parish of Remoães, then part of the term of Melgaço, had a considerable number of inhabitants for the period and the church housed several altars dedicated to saints such as Our Lady of the Rosary, Saint Michael, Saint Dominic, and Saint Anthony, in addition to its main patron saint. In the churchyard, a parish cross, dated 1729, complements the ensemble, evoking the long tradition of faith and local community.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 42.1095527,-8.28271
Coordinates DMS: 42°06'34.4"N 08°16'57.8"W
Weather Remoães
On-duty Pharmacy Remoães
