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Monastery of private foundation already mentioned in 1120, perhaps in the scope of the lineage of the Portocarreiros and after of the Fonsecas, Mancelos is an example of manorial intervention in the creation and maintenance of private churches.
Having been integrated into the Order of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine, it is likely that the date, 1166, inscribed on a stone block of the Church, bears witness to the consecration or dedication of the temple. However, the remaining architectural traces refer to the 13th century, as this chronology is most evident in the main portal.
This is sheltered by the church porch, which explains why it is still in good condition. The capitals were elegantly carved and the plain tympanum is supported by two figures standing in atlantes poses.
The church porch and the tower, among other elements, such as the battlements, provide grandeur to the Church, profoundly changed in the centuries after its construction.
This is evidenced by the scars on the ornaments and structural additions. On the south side, where the cloister [inner courtyard of a monastery] would be, an arcosolium still guards a tomb.
Inside, only the triumphal arch brings to mind the building's Romanesque style, for most of that space today is the outcome of counter-reformation interventions.
In the cemetery next to the Monastery is the burial place of painter Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso (1887-1918), major figure of Portuguese Modernism.
Type: Monastery
Classification: Public Interest Building – 1934
Route: Tâmega Valley
1120 - The Monastery of Mancelos existed as a manor of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine;
1129-1152 - Documented between these dates, D. Raimundo Garcia, of the lineage of the Portocarreiros, would have made a donation to Mancelos;
13th-14th centuries - Chronology attributable to the remaining Romanesque traces;
14th century - Mancelos was a commendation of the archbishop of Braga;
1320 - The Church of Mancelos was taxed in 600 Portuguese libras to support the Crusades;
1540 - Donation of the Church of Mancelos by King João III, to the Convent of Amarante, of the Order of Preachers;
1542 - Pope Paul III confirms the donation made by King João III;
17th-18th centuries - The integrated and movable heritage of the Church of Mancelos suffers some interventions, including the design of the altarpiece and respective images;
1864 - The parish priest of Mancelos, Joaquim Lopes Carvalho, considered the state of the building to be deplorable;
1934 - The Church of Mancelos is listed as Building of Public Interest;
60s - Beginning of restoration works;
1979 - A Special Protection Zone around the monastic ensemble of Mancelos is defined;
1979-1985 - Conservation works commissioned to the Fabriqueira Commission of Mancelos;
2010 - Integration of the Monastery of Saint Martin of Mancelos in the Route of the Romanesque;
2015 - Intervention for the conservation of the altarpiece and of the paintings, under the scope of the Route of the Romanesque;
2017-2020 - General improvement, under the scope of the Route of the Romanesque, of the roofs, walls, floors and openings; structural reinforcements of the building; interior works; installation of various electrical, telecommunications and security equipment.
Saint Martin - 11th November
By appointment
Sunday - 8.00 am; Thursday - 8 am
Monument not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
+351 255 810 706
+351 918 116 488
visitasrr@valsousa.pt
