Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Vila Real > Sabrosa > Paços > Assento de Paços
The Parish Church of Paços, also known as the Church of Santa Maria, is located in the center of the village of Paços, in the municipality of Sabrosa. This building prominently rises on an artificial platform, which resembles a churchyard and adapts to the natural slope of the terrain. Its elevated position offers views over the streets that develop at lower levels and provides a panorama of the surrounding landscape. The churchyard, paved with cobblestones and adorned with a small landscaped area, is delimited by a stone masonry wall, accessed by a monumental portal that invites entry into this serene space.
Dating from the 18th century, the church exhibits characteristics of late-Baroque architecture, reflecting the style and grandeur of the era. Its main façade, facing west, stands out for the integration of a quadrangular bell tower that rises above the structure. This tower, divided into two registers, displays a circular clock and openings for the bells, being topped by a balustrade and pinnacles. Laterally, the façade is adorned with volutes and Tuscan pilasters, while the main portal, in a curtain arch, is enriched with a cut-out molding, phytomorphic and shell-like elements. The side and rear façades, plastered and painted white, complement the ensemble with splayed windows and straight lintel doors, all framed by granite stonework that lends solidity and beauty to the building.
Upon entering the church, visitors are enveloped by an atmosphere of simplicity and artistic richness. The predominantly white interior walls feature a wainscot of bichrome tiles in shades of blue and white, adding a traditional touch. The flooring is wooden, and the ceiling, a false ribbed vault, is crafted from wood with painted ribs and corbels decorated with vegetal motifs. In the nave, there is a stone choir loft with a balustrade railing, and a large carved organ. Laterally, one observes built-in confessionals and gilded carved pulpits, profusely decorated with phytomorphic and shell-like elements. Four side chapels, with polychrome carved altarpieces, enrich the nave, one of them adorned with a carved family coat of arms. In the chancel, the main gilded carved altarpiece is the focal point, with twisted columns and decorated pilasters, housing a central tribune with faceted steps and angels, and a tabernacle in the shape of a tempietto. The sacristy, with its stone washbasin and built-in cupboard, completes the visit to the interior of this remarkable temple.
The history of the Church of Santa Maria de Paços dates back to a primitive 12th-century construction, later demolished to make way for the temple that can be admired today. The current construction was erected in the 18th century, in two phases, and was one of the buildings that did not suffer significant damage from the great earthquake of 1755. Parish records from the period, such as those of marriages, baptisms, and deaths, date from the mid-17th and early 18th centuries, testifying to its continuous importance to the community. According to the Parish Memoirs of 1758, the parish of Paços belonged to the archbishopric of Braga, and the parish priest was presented by the rector of Santa Maria de Paços, which underscores the historical relevance and autonomy of this place of worship in the region.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.2562693,-7.5944243
Coordinates DMS: 41°15'22.6"N 07°35'39.9"W
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