Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Vila Real > Mesão Frio > Vila Verde > Bairro Doutor Sá Carneiro
In Mesão Frio, at the heart of Bairro Doutor Sá Carneiro, in the locality of Vila Verde, stands the Church of Santa Cristina. This temple is located in an urban area, next to what was once the Franciscan Convent. Its tower, in particular, stands out in the landscape and can be seen from higher points in the village, such as Passeio Alto, offering an interesting perspective on the surroundings.
The history of the Church of Santa Cristina is fascinating and reflects the vicissitudes of time. The building we see today was not always the Mother Church of Santa Cristina. Its predecessor, the primitive parish church, built in another location, was tragically destroyed in 1809 during the Second French Invasion, with only the original tower remaining as a silent testimony to that troubled period.
It was in 1834, after the extinction of religious orders in Portugal, that the parishioners of Santa Cristina appropriated the then Church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, which belonged to the neighboring Franciscan Convent of Varatojo. This act marked the conversion and renaming of the temple, which became the new Mother Church of Santa Cristina, definitively integrating into the life of the community and continuing its spiritual legacy.
The Church of Santa Cristina exhibits Mannerist architecture, characterized by its longitudinal plan and the predominance of white plastered facades, highlighted by granite ashlar elements. The main facade, facing north, is notable for its straight lintel portal, flanked by pilasters, and an upper niche housing a moving image of the Pietà. Above, frieze and cornice finishes, with the cross on the gable, adorn the structure.
Inside, visitors find a serene space, with wooden ceilings and white walls that create a welcoming atmosphere. The wooden choir loft, the pulpits with their ornamented railings, and the two side chapels are elements of special interest. These chapels are covered with modern blue and white patterned tile wainscoting, and feature polychrome carved altarpieces. The main altarpiece, in neoclassical style, is a prominent piece, richly crafted in gilded and white carving, and the ceiling of the chancel, a false wooden barrel vault, is painted blue.
Adjacent to the church, the old Convent of São Francisco, once inseparable from the temple, reveals a two-story quadrangular cloister that invites contemplation. The ground floor is characterized by arcades on pillars, while the upper floor is distinguished by a Tuscan colonnade, imparting a sense of balance and harmony to the whole.
The central courtyard of the cloister, with its flowerbeds and a fountain, offers a tranquil retreat, underscoring the monastic function the place fulfilled. It was in this convent that a rich intellectual life flourished, housing, at the time of its extinction in 1834, a vast and valuable library that attests to the importance of the Franciscan legacy in the region, a heritage that still resonates within its walls today.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.1587013,-7.8914845
Coordinates DMS: 41°09'31.3"N 07°53'29.3"W
Weather Vila Verde
On-duty Pharmacy Vila Verde
