Amarante
A building with elements that may be included in the category of late Romanesque, the Church of Jazente presents itself as an important historical record of the ancient boundaries of the diocese of Porto.
The façade is dominated by the portal, one of the elements that best exposes its late construction, but it is in its tympanum that lies its greatest originality.
Here we observe a cross pattée overlapping an identical motif, engraved on the lintel supporting it. By the end of Romanesque, there was a tendency to punch the tympanum, not only with the casting of crosses, but also with other orifices.
Such is confirmed by the five circle-shaped openings, forming a cross, surrounded by a double circle engraved in granite on the south side portal. Inside, the Gothic sculpture representing the patron saint of the Church, the Virgin with the Child Jesus in her arms, of the so-called “Jazente”, stands out.
This is a work in polychrome limestone in which Mother and Son transpire maternal and filial love. Jazente is also recognized for being the abbey of Paulino Cabral (1719-1789) who preached here between 1752 and 1784, from “Arcadismo”, a literary movement of a classicist nature whose leading figure was Bocage.
Type: Church
Classification: Public Interest Building – 1977
Route: Tâmega Valley
950 - According to Domingos Moreira, the toponym Jacenti de Tamecha is already referred;
1258 - Abbess Margarida bears witness to the “Inquirições” [administrative enquiries] of King Afonso III;
1623 - The Church features no sacrarium;
1719, May 6th - Paulino António Cabral, future abbot of Jazente and Arcadian writer is born in São Pedro de Lomba;
1726 - Craesbeeck states that the Church has no sacrarium and it is then the abbey of the ordinary of Porto, abbot Bernardo Vieira de Macedo;
1752 - Paulino Antonio Cabral enters the service of the parish of Jazente;
1789 - Paulino António Cabral, writer and abbot of Jazente, dies in Amarante;
1930-1960 - Works are carried out on the Church's interiors and structure;
2010 - Integration of the Church of Saint Mary of Jazente in the Route of the Romanesque;
2013-2014 - General conservation, protection and enhancement of the Church, under the scope of the Route of the Romanesque;
2015 - General conservation of the Church at the level of vestments, woodwork ceilings and doors, and remodelling of the religious celebration area, under the scope of the Route of the Romanesque.
Saint Mary - 15th August
By appointment
Saturday - 4.30 pm (winter) or 7 pm (summer), sunday - 9.30 am or 11 pm (alternately)
Monument not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
+351 255 810 706
+351 918 116 488
visitasrr@valsousa.pt
How to get here:
41.24387, -8.057977
Rua da Igreja, Jazente, Amarante, Porto
Northern Portugal: A28/A3/A7/A24/A11 » A4 (Vila Real) » Amarante Este » Mesão Frio » Rota do Românico/Igreja de Jazente.
Porto: A4 (Vila Real) » Amarante Este » Mesão Frio » Rota do Românico/Igreja de Jazente.
Central/Southern Portugal: A1 (Porto)/ A29 (V.N. Gaia) » A41 CREP » A4 (Vila Real) Amarante Este » Mesão Frio» Rota do Românico/Igreja de Jazente.
Amarante: N15 Vila Real » Rota do Românico/Igreja de Jazente.