Romanesque Church of Santa Maria de Cárquere

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Viseu > Resende > Cárquere > Beba

Location

Nestled in the tranquility of the locality of Cárquere, in the municipality of Resende, the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria de Cárquere stands on a hillside, inserted in the Beba area. This monument, today a parish church, is set in a rural environment that invites serenity and observation of the surrounding landscape. Its paved atrium provides a space to absorb the historical and natural atmosphere of the place.

The primitive cloister of the monastery, which once comprised the complex, is now occupied by the local cemetery. The surrounding area, with its cultivated lands and an old mill, complements the scenery, also revealing vestiges of ancient civilizations, with excavations indicating Roman presence.

Millennial Heritage and Founding Legend

The history of Santa Maria de Cárquere dates back to the 12th century, with the foundation of a monastery of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine, but its roots delve into even older and more significant legends for the formation of Portugal. It is in this place that, according to the chronicle of 1419, the legendary cure of D. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, took place.

Tradition has it that Egas Moniz, the infant's tutor, brought the child, then five years old and with a malformation in his legs, to an unfinished church dedicated to Santa Maria. A vigil and the infant's presence at the altar resulted in his miraculous cure. In gratitude for this prodigy, D. Henrique is said to have ordered the construction of the monastery, thus conferring upon this place a deep and symbolic connection to the origin of Portuguese nationality.

Architecture and Evolution Through the Centuries

The architecture of the Church of Santa Maria de Cárquere is a living testament to the successive eras that shaped it, presenting a solid Romanesque base that was enriched with Gothic and Manueline elements over the centuries. Its main facade, built of granite ashlar, stands out for its Manueline portal, with a pointed arch resting on colonettes, and a circular oculus above.

Laterally, the imposing quadrangular bell tower, with its decorative battlements, reveals a character that evokes military structures. Inside, the nave and the main chapel have undergone significant renovations, such as the ribbed vaults of the main chapel, which contrast with the original Romanesque atmosphere and the Gothic and Manueline elements that were superimposed.

Artistic Highlights of the Interior

Upon entering the temple, visitors are enveloped by an atmosphere of deep religiosity and artistic richness. The interior, with exposed granite ashlar walls and wooden ceilings, houses a series of highly valuable elements. One of the most unique details is the oldest known iconography of the bagpipes in the Iberian Peninsula, carved on one of the capitals.

The main chapel surprises with the exuberant decoration of Baroque gilded woodwork in its altarpieces, which contrasts with the sobriety of the ribbed vaults. In the adjoining funerary chapel, one finds the tombs of the Lords of Resende, with tomb chests and inscribed tombstones, referring to prominent figures in local history. Vestiges of fifteenth-century mural paintings can also be observed. Two sculptures of great artistic quality enrich the temple's collection: a miniature ivory sculpture of the patron saint and a 14th-century Gothic sculpture, in limestone, representing Our Lady the White One.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt