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The Church of Escamarão integrates the set of temples built according to the models of the so-called rural Gothic.
Despite the massive aspect of its walls, ripped through by narrow crevices, the portals are bare of columns and tympani and its archivolts are directly grounded at ceiling heights.
The chevet of the window, already of Gothic expression, stands out although decorated with pearl motifs, which are typical of the Romanesque.
On the other hand, the inscription next to the main entrance (1385) may mark the year of completion of this work, a subsidiary of the powerful Monastery of Alpendorada (Marco de Canaveses).
However, the interior was radically changed from the 17th century, as a result of the transformations derived from the Catholic Reformation period, notably by the introduction of the Baroque taste, style which describes the main altarpiece [main altar].
This also features, at the centre, the arms of the Benedictine order, symbol of the presence of Alpendorada in Escamarão. A mural painting on the nave of this Church (eliminated in the early 20th century) and the front Mudejar tiles of the side altars of the nave, whose pattern is known as “carpet”, would have been from the 16th century.
Type: Church
Classification: Public Interest Building – 1950
Route: Douro Valley
1121-1143 - During the abbacy of D. Pedro, Vila Meã joined the sphere of the temporal domain of Pendorada;
1258 - Belonging to the Monastery of Saint John of Alpendorada, the "couto" [place of privileges] of Vila Meã had been donated by King D. Afonso Henriques to Sarracino Mendes, the "Espinha";
14th century - Edification of the Church of Our Lady of Nativity of Escamarão;
1385 - Date of the inscription engraved in the Church's main façade;
16th century (1st half) - Mudéjar tilework from the frontals of the nave's collateral altars;
1527 - The “couto” [place of privileges] of Vila Meã appears integrated in the “julgado de termos” [jurisdiction] of Sanfins;
18th century (1st half) - Design of the main altarpiece;
1752, April 30th - Gilding of the main altarpiece and intervention in the image of Saint Benedict, from the Monastery of Alpendorada;
1755, May 23rd - Commissioning of the replacement of the missing tiles in the frontals of the nave's collateral altars;
1784, May 28th - In an inspection made by the abbot of Freigil, D. João Batista Pereira, there is a reference to the Church's state of neglect;
1788, April 29th - The “visitadores” [inspectors] continue to consider that the Church of Escamarão is in a state of neglect;
1814, July 26th - There is a reference to the improvements seen inside the Church;
1944 - Opening of the process for the classification of the Church of Escamarão, by Armando de Mattos;
1950 - Classification of the Church of Escamarão as Building of Public Interest;
1960s - Conduction of several conservation works in the Church at the expense of the local Fabriqueira Commission;
1974 - Restoration works;
2010 - Integration of the Church of Our Lady of Nativity of Escamarão in the Route of the Romanesque;
2014-2015 - Works for the general conservation of the Church, under the scope of the Route of the Romanesque.
Our Lady of Nativity - 8th September
By appointment
Saturday - 7 pm
Monument fully or partly accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
+351 255 810 706
+351 918 116 488
visitasrr@valsousa.pt
