Câmara Municipal de Santarém - Graça Church XIVth century

** Monuments ** Graça Church XIVth century

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Graça Church XIVth century

The ancient convent of the Augustine Friars, is one of the most perfect examples of national gothic style said prof. Mário Chicó.
Worthy of note is the magnificent rose window made of one single stone beautifully ornated, imitating lace.
The portic is not very decorated only the columns have vegetal decoration.
The triangular gable-end is surmounted by a cross.
The church is divided in three naves separated by six columns. A staircase of fifteen steps take us inside the temple. The church has the chancel and five other secondary altars.
At the chancel vault, on one of the ribs key-stones, can be seen the coar of arms of the founder João Afonso Teles de Menezes, Earl of Ourém.
Also at the chancel is the grave of the founder and his wife D. Guiomar de Vilalobos.

At the transept, with several graves which belong to the souls of purgatory brotherwood, there is a trap-door covering a staircase which leads to a room, under the temple, with six tombs.
In the secondary altar of the left side and surmounted by the shield of the reign is the grave of D. João Luís de Menezes e Vasconcelos, lord of Mafra, and taking shelter under an ogival arch is the tomb, in black marble, of D. Leonor de Menezes daughter of the Earls of Ourém. On the same wall above this arch is the coat of arms of Menezes and Castros.
On the right side can be seen the tomb of D. Afonso de Vasconcelos e Menezes and his wife D. Isabel da Silva, Earls of Penela. On the ground, the grave of D. Maria da Silva wife of João Freire de Andrade.
At the opposite secondary altar on the right, the grave of Pedro Alves Cabral, who discovered Brazil, and of his wife D. Isabel de Castro. Behind the altar, the grave of D. Violanta wife of Afonso de Noronha.
On the right side of the transept, laying on the back of eight lions, is the l5th century tomb of D. Pedro de Menezes, Earl of Vila Real, and his wife. By this tomb there is the grave of D. Leonor de Menezes, daughter of Earl D. Pedro, wife of D. Fernando third Duke of Bragança.
On the left side of the transept, on the wall, the memorial stone of Gil Anes da Costa, surmounted by the shield of the family.
On one of the columns of the right side there is an inscription of very difficult reading, which marks the foundation of Graça convent.
On the right side of the church, in a secondary chapel, taking shelter under a renaissance arch surmounted by medallions is the tomb of Pedro Ruis Porto Carrero, chamberlain of Earl D. Henrique de Menezes, an on the ground another grave, with coat of arms, of Porto Carrero's daughter.
On the right side of the transept there is an ogival door which leads to the tower.
A straircase on the right side of the temple leads to the cloisters and gardens of the extinguished augustine convent.
By the staircase of the main door, on the right, the gothic tomb of the Porto Carrero family and near this one, three graves: one of Isabel de Vilalobos wife of Pedro de Sá; other with an angel in low relief, aiso of the Porto Carrero family, and another of Henrique Fernão. On the left side of the stairs can be seen the tumular arch of D. Simão Vaz de Gamboa.

in Octávio Mendes. Santarém Monumental.
Santarém: 1988

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