Matriz Church of Póvoa de Varzim
Encyclopedia
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
Church located in the Old Square
Praça Velha
thumb|The new First Church of Póvoa de Varzim, in Baroque style, started being built in 1743.Praça Velha , formerly known as Praça , was the primitive civic center and the market square of the city of Póvoa de Varzim in Portugal...
of Póvoa de Varzim
Póvoa de Varzim
Póvoa de Varzim is a Portuguese city in the Norte Region and sub-region of Greater Porto, with a 2011 estimated population of 63,364. According to the 2001 census, there were 63,470 inhabitants with 42,396 living in the city proper. The urban area expanded, southwards, to Vila do Conde, and there...
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 the principal church in the city.
History
The church of Santa Maria de Varzim, the early First Church (Igreja Matriz) was located in Dores SquareLargo das Dores
thumb|Dores Square plate.thumb|Dores Square.Largo das Dores or Dores Square is a square in Póvoa de Varzim city center in Portugal. Part of the old town of Póvoa de Varzim, this area is listed by City Hall as heritage site...
in the old town, and was, in the 18th century, outside of Póvoa de Varzim's civic center. The ancient Santa Maria de Varzim Church also proved to be too small for such a large population. As such, the Povoan Senate (Senado Poveiro) asked the King a larger temple. King John V answered with the royal provision of June 1, 1736, conceding the leftovers of taxes for 15 years and the people would have to contribute with one Real
Portuguese real
The real was the unit of currency of Portugal from around 1430 until 1911. It replaced the dinheiro at the rate of 1 real = 840 dinheiros and was itself replaced by the escudo at a rate of 1 escudo = 1000 réis...
in the meat and wine.
The temple was built in the town hall's square. Works started when, in a ceremony, the priest Carvalho da Cunha placed the first stone on February 18, 1743. The stone was taken into place by four local personalities: Sir Diogo de Sousa, Gonçalo de Almeida de Sousa, lieutenant Veiga Leal and Francisco Monteiro Pereira de Queiroz. The project was directed by Braga architect Manuel Fernandes da Silva until his death in 1753. After Fernandes da Silva's death, works continued under the direction of a team of building masters. Despite not fully finished, the temple was blessed on January 6, 1757.
Arquitecture
Designed by the notable 18th century Portuguese architect Fernandes da Silva, the church is noted for its rich rococoRococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
. The 18th century façade has exuberant lines of Baroque art, with a trimmed gable where the Roccaille portal is cut, crowned by a royal blason, over which a niche is located. The niche has an icon of the Virgin Mary sculpted in rock. Relief bronze doors by sculptor Rui Anahory where placed during the 250 years celebrations.
The interior is wide and in a single nave covered by a 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...
. The nave is strengthened by three robust toroidal arches and the walls are decorated by nine Joanino (King John's style) Baroque altars, in gilded woodcarving
Gilded woodcarving
Gilded woodcarvingGilded woodcarving in Portugal is, along with the tile, one of its most original and rich artistic expressions. It is usually used in the internal decoration of churches and cathedrals, but also as part of the decoration of noble halls in palaces and large public buildings,...
, displaying 18th century sculptures. Its retable
Retable
A retable is a framed altarpiece, raised slightly above the back of the altar or communion table, on which are placed the cross, ceremonial candlesticks and other ornaments....
s are notable, especially the one from the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, exceptionally rich, in rococo style, made-up by six composite order
Composite order
The composite order is a mixed order, combining the volutes of the Ionic order capital with the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order. The composite order volutes are larger, however, and the composite order also has echinus molding with egg-and-dart ornamentation between the volutes...
capital columns. In the assets of the church, there's a green damson plum chasuble, with fine silk needlework, from the 16th century and an icon of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem from the 17th century. A sacristy furnishing has a wide set of siglas poveiras
Siglas poveiras
The siglas poveiras is a proto-writing system that has been used by the local community of Póvoa de Varzim in Portugal for many generations. The siglas were primarily used as a signature for family coat-of-arms in order to mark family belongings...
, written by the fishermen.
Matriz Church of Póvoa de Varzim was classified by IGESPAR as a building with public importance in 1977.