Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Viseu > Tabuaço > Barcos e Santa Leocádia > Barcos
The Parish Church of Barcos, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, is located in the heart of the urban area of Barcos, in the Union of Parishes of Barcos and Santa Leocádia, municipality of Tabuaço. Its central position in the historical core of the locality gives it a prominent role in the urban landscape. Access to the main facade is via several semicircular steps, and next to it stands a calvary cross, elements that complement the atmosphere of the square in front of the temple.
The church's surroundings are marked by a landscaped area, inviting a moment of tranquility, and by a set of historical buildings that underscore the secular importance of the site where the church is located.
This temple, classified as a National Monument, has origins dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, representing an interesting transition between the Romanesque and Gothic styles. Its construction is subsequent to the primitive Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sabroso, from where the parish seat was transferred to this location. Elements of its original design are still visible in its structure, such as the main and side facade portals, which feature pointed arches and Romanesque vegetal decoration.
The main nave retains a corbeling finish, characteristic of medieval constructions, and inside, some ashlar blocks reveal the marks left by the stonemasons of the time. The chancel, although having undergone remodeling in the Mannerist period, presents a visual contrast with the nave, being lower and narrower, which reflects the various periods of intervention and adaptation of the building over the centuries.
The interior of the Parish Church of Barcos surprises with the richness of its artistic elements. The nave ceiling, made of masseira wood, contrasts with the false barrel vault, also in wood, of the chancel. The latter is adorned with painted coffers depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin, a work dated 1728.
The triumphal arch, connecting the nave to the chancel, is covered with gilded national Baroque carving and its intrados displays mural paintings with decorative motifs, cartouches, birds, and small putti, dated 1726. The church houses two pointed-arch arcosolia, which in earlier times contained private tombs. Also noteworthy is the wooden pulpit, of Mannerist design, with its bronze inlays and a baldachin. One of the most remarkable elements is a medieval mural painting located behind the high altar, depicting Our Lady with the Child flanked by Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Peter, a work of great historical and artistic value.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.1225908,-7.6011287
Coordinates DMS: 41°07'21.3"N 07°36'4.1"W
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