Church of Cedofeita
Encyclopedia
The Church of Cedofeita is a mediaeval church in the city of Porto
, in Portugal
. It is located in the district of Cedofeita
.
style. At least two previous buildings occupied the same place: one built around the 10th century, from which two pre-romanesque capitals
are preserved in the interior, and another consecrated in 1098 by the Bishop of Braga
, from which the lower part of the main chapel has survived.
The Church of Cedofeita was renovated in the 20th century, removing baroque additions and giving it a more "mediaeval" appearance.
of the church has only one aisle
and one main chapel in the apse
. The nave is covered by typical romanesque barrel vault
ing. Cedofeita is the only romanesque one-aisled church in Portugal covered with a stone roof. The main chapel has a series of blind arches on the wall - a remnant from an earlier, 11th century building - and is illuminated by three narrow windows. Two capitals of the triumphal arch (between the main chapel and the nave) were reutilised from an ancient building, possibly a 10th century church in this same spot. These capitals, with sculptured vegetal motifs, are made of sandstone
from the Coimbra
region, which contrasts with the dark granite
of the rest of the building. The nave is illuminated by the narrow windows on the nave and main façade and by a small rose window on the wall over the main chapel.
The main façade of the Church of Cedofeita has a romanesque, round-arched portal topped by a very narrow window that looks like an arrow slit. The tympanum
of the main portal has a 18th century inscription, probably a copy of an earlier one, that tells that the church was founded in the 6th century. The main portal, as well as the lateral portals, have capitals with interesting romanesque motifs that reveal influences from the Cathedrals of Porto
and Coimbra
. The north portal has a tympanon with a relief of the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God, a recurrent motif in Portuguese romanesque.
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. It is located in the district of Cedofeita
Cedofeita
Cedofeita is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Porto. It has a population of 24,784 inhabitants and a total area of 2.66 km²....
.
History
The Church of Cedofeita was built between the 12th and the 13th centuries in romanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style. At least two previous buildings occupied the same place: one built around the 10th century, from which two pre-romanesque capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
are preserved in the interior, and another consecrated in 1098 by the Bishop of Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
, from which the lower part of the main chapel has survived.
The Church of Cedofeita was renovated in the 20th century, removing baroque additions and giving it a more "mediaeval" appearance.
Architecture and art
The naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
of the church has only one aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
and one main chapel in the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. The nave is covered by typical romanesque barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
ing. Cedofeita is the only romanesque one-aisled church in Portugal covered with a stone roof. The main chapel has a series of blind arches on the wall - a remnant from an earlier, 11th century building - and is illuminated by three narrow windows. Two capitals of the triumphal arch (between the main chapel and the nave) were reutilised from an ancient building, possibly a 10th century church in this same spot. These capitals, with sculptured vegetal motifs, are made of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
from the Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
region, which contrasts with the dark granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
of the rest of the building. The nave is illuminated by the narrow windows on the nave and main façade and by a small rose window on the wall over the main chapel.
The main façade of the Church of Cedofeita has a romanesque, round-arched portal topped by a very narrow window that looks like an arrow slit. The tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
of the main portal has a 18th century inscription, probably a copy of an earlier one, that tells that the church was founded in the 6th century. The main portal, as well as the lateral portals, have capitals with interesting romanesque motifs that reveal influences from the Cathedrals of Porto
Oporto Cathedral
The Porto Cathedral , located in the historical centre of the city of Porto, Portugal, is one of the city's oldest monuments and one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Portugal...
and Coimbra
Old Cathedral of Coimbra
The Old Cathedral of Coimbra is one of the most important Romanesque Roman Catholic buildings in Portugal. Construction of the Sé Velha began some time after the Battle of Ourique , when Count Afonso Henriques declared himself King of Portugal and chose Coimbra as capital...
. The north portal has a tympanon with a relief of the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God, a recurrent motif in Portuguese romanesque.