Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Encarnação - Encarnação/Mafra/Portugal - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

Built where once stood a chapel dedicated to Santa Catarina, Church of Nossa Senhora da Encarnação began to be built in the early seventeenth century, a campaign that lasted considerably.

Indeed, if much of the architecture is seventeenth century, almost all of the interior dates back to the eighteenth century, including, in this last phase, the construction of the two bell towers on the facade. Membership of the House of Belmonte to mid-twentieth century, only relatively recently was donated to the Patriarchate of Lisbon, officiating is, therefore, its role as the parish church which played since 1755, when the earthquake destroyed the original array, Fanga Faith (LUCENA, 1987, p. 78).

Dominating the square in which it appears, from the top of the staircase that precedes it, the church presents a monumental setting, with unusual solutions in the national architectural context. In fact, the temple is preceded by a porch, ripped in the center with a bow and a bay window with iron grating. The lateral bodies, which correspond to the towers are surrounded by two pillars. About the talon, the bell towers, since the last decade of the eighteenth century, are surmounted by domes vasadas by a door, and retreated to the center a pediment is preceded by a clock. However, the uniqueness of the set lies in the side porches, supported on columns, which extend from the front porch and extend over the elevations of the nave.

Inside, the nave, the first campaign was denounced by the decorative tile pattern seventeenth century, in shades of blue and yellow, lining the lower part of the temple walls. Naturalistic plasterwork adorning the upper elevations of the nave. There have been two chapels, one of which dedicated to St. Peter's, dated 1753 and with an altar of marble, the model may have originated in the altars of the basilica of Mafra (Azevedo, FERRÃO, Gusmao, 1963, p. 21). Still on the ship, we found a gilded pulpit, also of the eighteenth century, and the choir organ attributed to António Xavier Machado Cerveira and, besides century tiles and other sundry figure because of the following century.

However, it is the presbytery that deserves special attention. The walls are lined with blue and white tiles, run, quite possibly, in the mid eighteenth century (Simões, 1997, p. 304), and representing the Adoration of the Magi and the Adoration of the Shepherds. Although Santos Simoes noted that the design of both is low, the brightness and set design that lend this space is very significant, conjugate with other panels, located in bays of windows, which display various Marian emblems, from the Litany - sun, star, moon, mirror, cypress, lily, and pink - and that evokes the purity of the Virgin. That is, an iconography clearly selected on the basis of the temple's dedication to Our Lady of the Incarnation. The same theme of the Life of the Virgin is present in all six screens, attributable to the painter André Gonçalves (Azevedo, FERRÃO, Gusmao, 1963, p. 21), as well as the ceiling, which represents the Assumption of the Virgin and the yet altarpiece . The latter was executed in gilt national style, displays and twisted columns, center, with a medallion of the Annunciation. Backstage, the image of Our Lady who, according to tradition, came from Lisbon Cathedral (Azevedo, FERRÃO, Gusmao, 1963, p. 21).

Thus, we examine how the dynamics outside the temple, with good rhythmic porch that runs through the main front and sides, lies within a scenic same direction which consists of those who were the most recurrent elements of the baroque period, ie carving, painting, tile and in this case the marble.

Consultation on CMMafra - Heritage Division

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1709 Age of Church building determined by?: Historical Society If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Catholic If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Saturday Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 7:00 PM Street address of Church: Largo da Igreja nr 1 Encarnação, Mafra Portugal 2640-232 Encarnação Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/15/2022 etraud_ visited it