0 Likes
This beautiful church, part of the convent of Santa Clara, was founded, with great solemnity in 1416, with the presence of King D. João I. The Poor Clare nuns living with security difficulties in the Torreão Monastery created in 1254, had as their objective the move to Porto. Queen D. Filipa de Lencastre supported the creation of a new monastery in Porto for these Poor Clares, and although the queen had since passed away, her husband King D. João I was responsible for the continuity of the construction of the new monastery in the place of Carvalhos do Monte within the fortified town. The nuns here settled in 1427, but the building would only be ready in 1457. The works carried out in the 17th and 18th centuries transformed it from Gothic to Baroque. Its main 16th century portal maintains a mixture of Renaissance elements (medallions, pilasters and cornice) and Manueline elements such as the canopial arch. The other portico to access the convent no longer has the Gothic ornaments that it would have on its Porta Regral, but 17th century baroque; two free Solomonic columns support an advanced cornice topped by a niche with an image of Nª Srª da Conceição from 1697. Its interior is the most perfect example of the gold-lined temple of the Joanina period in the city of Porto.
Discreet fourteenth century memory is at the entrance; the beautiful baptismal font with vegetal decoration carved in torsional triangles and with strong and protruding moldings, very simple pedestal and base.