The unexpected archaeological discovery, in 2006, of nearly 70 stone elements with Romanesque decorations during the works for the redesign of the Abragão Civic Centre (Penafiel), was at the origin of the creation of the Interpretation Centre of Romanesque Sculpture, at the initiative of the Route of the Romanesque.

Ornamented pieces, some carved, others formerly, belonging to the old nave of the Church of Saint Peter of Abragão, rebuilt in the second half of the 17th century, were included in the construction of the walls of the building that stood as a blacksmith workshop.

Capitals, bases, voussoirs and frustums were found which had belonged to a portal that, by the size and quantity, allow experts to consider it to be the main portal of the Church of Abragão.

The carvings and sculptures found - capitals with affronted animals, beveled palmettes, voussoirs carved with seccant circles - are close to those that can be observed in the Churches of Saint Genesius of Boelhe and of the Saviour of Paço de Sousa, both in Penafiel.

The chevet and the respective arch formed, until these findings, the only remaining Romanesque elements of the original construction.

The partial and hypothetical reconstitution of the portal and the rosette of the main façade of the Church of Abragão, based on the aforementioned stone elements, is the driving force behind the museographic project of this interpretation centre.

Open to the public on 25 July, 2020, the Interpretation Centre of Romanesque Sculpture will also offer visitors the chance to get to know the chronological, social and cultural context of Romanesque art, highlighting the importance of stonemasons and sculptors in its materialisation.

It consists of an exhibition area of approximately 300 square meters, divided into six thematic areas, to offer a visit that combines new technologies with unique objects and knowledge.

The sculpture "Ox", created by artist Bordalo II through the re-purposing of rubbish, deserves special mention for its reinterpretation of Romanesque aesthetics.

The Route of the Romanesque is a tourist-cultural project that comprises, currently, 58 monuments and three interpretation centre, located in 12 municipalities of the Sousa, Douro and Tâmega valleys (Amarante, Baião, Castelo de Paiva, Celorico de Basto, Cinfães, Felgueiras, Lousada, Marco de Canaveses, Paços de Ferreira, Paredes, Penafiel and Resende), in northern Portugal.

AWARDS
Awards Portuguese Association of Museology 2021 | "Museographic Work" category.

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