Category: Religious Architecture > Tomb
District: Vila Real > Mesão Frio > Mesão Frio > Vila Nova
The Romanesque Tombs are situated in the heart of the town of Mesão Frio, more precisely in the Vila Nova residential area. They are arranged in the churchyard of one of the town's most emblematic religious buildings, in a central location that is easily visible to anyone strolling through the area.
This collection comprises seven stone sarcophagi, precious examples of funerary art in Portugal, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. These are pieces that transport us to a distant period, offering a rare glimpse into the funerary practices and artistic expression that marked the region during the Romanesque era. Their presence in the public space serves as a tangible record of Mesão Frio's history and cultural evolution.
Each of these tombs has a trapezoidal shape and consists of two parts: the body of the sarcophagus, known as the casket, and its respective lid. It can be observed that two of these tombs are open, with the lids placed to the side, revealing an internal cavity shaped to evoke the human form, prepared to receive the body. As for the lids, five have a polygonal section with six faces, while the remaining two exhibit a different, pentagonal design, with a shape reminiscent of a gable roof.
Beyond their distinct forms, the tombs are distinguished by their decorative details, which enrich the ensemble. Three of the sarcophagi feature plain caskets but compensate with carefully decorated lids, where the stonework is revealed with particular mastery. Of special interest are two other sarcophagi where the decoration is not confined to the lid but also extends to the side faces of the caskets, making them particularly remarkable and lending a unique aesthetic richness to these ancient graves.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.157665,-7.892852
Coordinates DMS: 41°09'27.6"N 07°53'34.3"W
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