Monastery of Our Lady of the Assumption of Tabosa or Convent of Saint Bernard

Category: Religious Architecture > Monastery

District: Viseu > Sernancelhe > Carregal > Tabosa do Carregal

Location

Tabosa, Carregal, Sernancelhe, Portugal.

- Founded in 1692 by D. Maria Pereira, the last Cistercian creation in Portugal.

- 12th female monastery of the Order of Cister in the country.

- Monument classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1971.

History

- Created in 1692 with a generous donation from D. Maria Pereira, a woman of means.

- Initially housed 5 nuns from Lisbon and 2 lay sisters.

- Originally designed for 25 religious, but eventually housed 27.

- The construction of the monastery lasted from 1685 to 1745.

- Included a Via Sacra, blessed by Frei Gaspar de Virgem Maria.

- Architecture followed the tradition of Cistercian monasteries.

Monastery Structure

- Church, Locutory Houses, Wheels, and accommodations.

- Chapter House, Lucotório, and Gatehouse with Wheel.

- Belvedere, typical in female monasteries.

- Refectory, Kitchen, Calefactory, and sanitary facilities.

- Fence Wall completed in 1705.

- Guesthouse for visitors and priests.

Architecture and Details

- Facade with a niche of St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

- Image of Our Lady of the Assumption above the Church door.

- Square-shaped cloisters, with Tuscan columns.

- Balustraded balcony at the top.

- Built between 1703 and 1704.

150 Years of Life

- Went through periods of construction, restructuring, and reconstruction.

- Nuns moved to Setúbal in 1771.

- Reconstruction process after the expropriation of assets.

- Declined after the extinction of religious orders.

- Sold to a farmer in the 1850s.

- Declared a property of public interest in 1971.

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosteiro_de_Nossa_Senhora_da_Assunção_de_Tabosa

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