Monastery of Saint Denis of Odivelas
Encyclopedia
The Monastery of Saint Denis is located in the city of Odivelas
, near Lisbon
, in Portugal
. The feminine Cistercian convent was founded by King Dinis I and was built during the 14th century in Gothic
style. It is the burial place of the king.
when he was attacked by a bear
, which made him fall off his horse. Fearing for his life, Dinis swore to found a monastery if he could escape alive. In the combat that ensued, the King managed to plunge his dagger into the heart of the beast and kill it. That would be the origin of the monastery of Odivelas.
What is known for certain is that King Dinis founded the feminine Cistercian monastery in 1295 on an isolated spot of the Portuguese hinterland, around which the village of Odivelas developed. The works proceeded swiftly, being mostly finished some ten years after the foundation stone had been laid. King Dinis I died in 1325 and was buried in a Gothic tomb the church of the monastery. One of the king's daughters, Princess Maria Afonso (d. 1320), is also buried here.
The existence of a royal palace in Odivelas meant that the monastery was favoured by some Portuguese monarchs during the Middle Ages. An important figure associated with the monastery is Queen Philippa of Lancaster
, who lived some time in the monastery until her death in 1415. The Queen was provisionally buried in the church of the monastery until being translated to the Monastery of Batalha.
In the early 16th century there were several improvements in the monastery, including the building of a new cloister
in Manueline
style and a Renaissance
gallery by the entrance. In the early 18th century, the monastery was frequently visited by King John V, who had a scandalous affair with Mother Paula (1701-1768), abbess
of the monastery. They had an illegitimate son, José, one of the so-called Children of Palhavã
.
The Odivelas monastery was greatly damaged by the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake
, and had to be partially rebuilt. The nave
of the church, in particular, was totally remodelled, leaving only the apse and its three chapels in the original 14th century Gothic style.
With the dissolution of religious orders in the 19th century, the monastery was adapted by the Portuguese military to serve as an educational institution for girls.
of the church and parts of the cloisters remain. The apse is a typical example of the plain Gothic of the monasteries built by the mendicant orders
in mediaeval Portugal: clear forms and little decoration. The apse is composed of a main chapel and two side chapels, all of polygonal shape and reinforced with buttresses. In the interior, all chapels are covered by rib vault
ing and are illuminated by three windows. Another Gothic chapel was added to the south side of the apse in 1425. In spite of its late date, this chapel is similar to the earlier ones in architectural terms. The original nave
of the church had three aisle
s, but after the 1755 earthquake the space was unified under a single aisle.
One of the lateral chapels of the apse keeps the tomb of King Dinis, decorated with the recumbent figure of the king. His tomb, as well as that of his daughter Maria Afonso, are remarkable examples of early 14th-century Portuguese sculpture, even though they were damaged by the 1755 earthquake and by Napoleonic troops that invaded Portugal
in the 19th century.
The monastery has two cloisters. The main cloister was built in the 14th century, but nowadays only parts of the original vaulting still exist. In the early 16th century the monastery was partially remodelled in Manueline
style. The main cloister gained many Manueline portals, and a second cloister, nicknamed the Claustro da Moura was built. Later in the century a gallery (loggia
) in Mannerist style was added to the façade.
An important legacy of the early 18th century is the refectory
of the monastery, decorated by painted wooden panels on the ceiling and tile
(azulejo
) panels on the walls.
Odivelas
Odivelas is a civil parish in Odivelas Municipality in Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal.. The city has a population of 50,846. The municipality is composed of 7 parishes, and is located in the District of Lisbon....
, near Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, 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...
. The feminine Cistercian convent was founded by King Dinis I and was built during the 14th century in Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. It is the burial place of the king.
History
According to a legend, King Dinis was hunting near BejaBeja (Portugal)
Beja is a city in the Beja Municipality in the Alentejo region, Portugal. The municipality has a total area of 1,147.1 km² and a total population of 34,970 inhabitants. The city proper has a population of 21,658....
when he was attacked by a bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, which made him fall off his horse. Fearing for his life, Dinis swore to found a monastery if he could escape alive. In the combat that ensued, the King managed to plunge his dagger into the heart of the beast and kill it. That would be the origin of the monastery of Odivelas.
What is known for certain is that King Dinis founded the feminine Cistercian monastery in 1295 on an isolated spot of the Portuguese hinterland, around which the village of Odivelas developed. The works proceeded swiftly, being mostly finished some ten years after the foundation stone had been laid. King Dinis I died in 1325 and was buried in a Gothic tomb the church of the monastery. One of the king's daughters, Princess Maria Afonso (d. 1320), is also buried here.
The existence of a royal palace in Odivelas meant that the monastery was favoured by some Portuguese monarchs during the Middle Ages. An important figure associated with the monastery is Queen Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster, LG was a Queen consort of Portugal. Born into the royal family of England, her marriage with King John I secured the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and produced several famous children who became known as the "Illustrious Generation" in Portugal...
, who lived some time in the monastery until her death in 1415. The Queen was provisionally buried in the church of the monastery until being translated to the Monastery of Batalha.
In the early 16th century there were several improvements in the monastery, including the building of a new cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
in Manueline
Manueline
The Manueline, or Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese style of architectural ornamentation of the first decades of the 16th century, incorporating maritime elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral...
style and a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
gallery by the entrance. In the early 18th century, the monastery was frequently visited by King John V, who had a scandalous affair with Mother Paula (1701-1768), abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
of the monastery. They had an illegitimate son, José, one of the so-called Children of Palhavã
Children of Palhavã
The children of Palhavã were three male natural sons of King John V of Portugal , which were recognised by the monarch in a document issued in 1742, which was published only after the death of the king, in 1752....
.
The Odivelas monastery was greatly damaged by the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
, and had to be partially rebuilt. The nave
Nave
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, in particular, was totally remodelled, leaving only the apse and its three chapels in the original 14th century Gothic style.
With the dissolution of religious orders in the 19th century, the monastery was adapted by the Portuguese military to serve as an educational institution for girls.
Art & architecture
Of the original monastery built in the early 14th century, only the apseApse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
of the church and parts of the cloisters remain. The apse is a typical example of the plain Gothic of the monasteries built by the mendicant orders
Mendicant Orders
The mendicant orders are religious orders which depend directly on the charity of the people for their livelihood. In principle, they do not own property, either individually or collectively , believing that this was the most pure way of life to copy followed by Jesus Christ, in order that all...
in mediaeval Portugal: clear forms and little decoration. The apse is composed of a main chapel and two side chapels, all of polygonal shape and reinforced with buttresses. In the interior, all chapels are covered by rib vault
Rib vault
The intersection of two or three barrel vaults produces a rib vault or ribbed vault when they are edged with an armature of piped masonry often carved in decorative patterns; compare groin vault, an older form of vault construction...
ing and are illuminated by three windows. Another Gothic chapel was added to the south side of the apse in 1425. In spite of its late date, this chapel is similar to the earlier ones in architectural terms. The original nave
Nave
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 had three 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...
s, but after the 1755 earthquake the space was unified under a single aisle.
One of the lateral chapels of the apse keeps the tomb of King Dinis, decorated with the recumbent figure of the king. His tomb, as well as that of his daughter Maria Afonso, are remarkable examples of early 14th-century Portuguese sculpture, even though they were damaged by the 1755 earthquake and by Napoleonic troops that invaded Portugal
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
in the 19th century.
The monastery has two cloisters. The main cloister was built in the 14th century, but nowadays only parts of the original vaulting still exist. In the early 16th century the monastery was partially remodelled in Manueline
Manueline
The Manueline, or Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese style of architectural ornamentation of the first decades of the 16th century, incorporating maritime elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral...
style. The main cloister gained many Manueline portals, and a second cloister, nicknamed the Claustro da Moura was built. Later in the century a gallery (loggia
Loggia
Loggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
) in Mannerist style was added to the façade.
An important legacy of the early 18th century is the refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
of the monastery, decorated by painted wooden panels on the ceiling and tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
(azulejo
Azulejo
Azulejo from the Arabic word Zellige زليج is a form of Portuguese or Spanish painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture, having been produced without interruption for five centuries...
) panels on the walls.