Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (Corvo)

Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres
Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres
	Church of Our Lady of Miracles
	Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Milagres
	The front facade of the parochial church of Our Lady of Miracles, during celebrations in her honour
	Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres Location of the church in the municipality of Vila do Corvo
	39°40′19″N31°06′42″W / 39.671988°N 31.111558°W Coordinates: 39°40′19″N31°06′42″W / 39.671988°N 31.111558°W
Location	Corvo, Western, Azores
Country	Portugal
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Architecture
Style	Baroque, Chã
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Angra

Last updated March 20, 2019

The Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (Portuguese : Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Milagres) is a Portuguese 16th-century church located in the municipality of Vila do Corvo, on the island of Corvo in the archipelago of the Azores.

Portuguese is a Western Romance language originating in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the sole official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe. It also has co-official language status in East Timor, Equatorial Guinea and Macau in China. As the result of expansion during colonial times, a cultural presence of Portuguese and Portuguese creole speakers are also found in Goa, Daman and Diu in India; in Batticaloa on the east coast of Sri Lanka; in the Indonesian island of Flores; in the Malacca state of Malaysia; and the ABC islands in the Caribbean where Papiamento is spoken, while Cape Verdean Creole is the most widely spoken Portuguese-based Creole. A Portuguese-speaking person or nation may be referred to as "Lusophone" in both English and Portuguese.

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe. It is bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain. Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments.

A church building or church house, often simply called a church, is a building used for Christian religious activities, particularly for Christian worship services. The term is often used by Christians to refer to the physical buildings where they worship, but it is sometimes used to refer to buildings of other religions. In traditional Christian architecture, the church is often arranged in the shape of a Christian cross. When viewed from plan view the longest part of a cross is represented by the aisle and the junction of the cross is located at the altar area.

History

It was likely constructed in 1570, to the invocation of Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Our Lady of the Rosary), a small church it was located near the sea.^[1]

In 1632, the hermitage was destroyed by Barbary coast pirates. An image of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, which was found in the Canada da Rocha, and legend indicate that this figure saved the island's defenders from the bullets of the pirates.^[1]

Corvo was elevated to the status of parish in 1674, under the invocation of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, and the church was rebuilt: a vicar, clergy and treasurer assigned to the new parish. The first vicar was the Faialense Bartolomeu Tristão. It was the second parish priest, the Florentine Inácio Coelho, son of the chronicler friar Diogo das Chagas, who convinced D. Martinho Mascarenhas, second Captain-donatario, to assume the patronage of the parish. It was likely Inácio Coelho who promoted the story of the image of the Virgin Mary and how she saved the people of Corvo from the pirate attack. From this point on the image began to be referred to as Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (Our Lady of Miracles).

Faial Island, also known in English as Fayal, is a Portuguese island of the Central Group of the Azores. The Capelinhos Volcano, the westernmost point of the island, might as well be the westernmost point of Europe, if the Monchique Islet, near Flores Island, is considered part of North America, for it sits on the North American Plate.

Flores Island ; is an island of the Western group of the Azores. It has an area of 143 km², a population of approximately 3907 inhabitants, and, together with Corvo Island of the western archipelago, lies within the North American Plate. The nearby Monchique Islet is the westernmost point of Portugal. It has been referred to as the Ilha Amarelo Torrado by marketing and due to the association with poet Raul Brandão, but it is well known for its abundance of flowers, hence its Portuguese name of Flores.

Diogo das Chagas, O.F.M. ; was a Portuguese Franciscan friar and historian. He is best known as the author of Espelho Cristalino em Jardim de Várias Flores, an important resource on the colonization of the islands of the central and western groups of the Portuguese archipelago of his native region of the Azores after 1640.

In 1795, the church was rebuilt: 26 metres (85 ft) by 7 metres (23 ft).

On 20 June 1832, the population was elevated to the status of vila (town) and seat of the municipality, by Peter IV of Portugal. The decree established that centre would be known as Vila do Corvo, and not under the jurisdiction of Santa Cruz das Flores, for which it did before.

In 1932, the church was destroyed in a violent fire, which resulted in the loss of many of the artifacts, except the image of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres, which was saved. During that year, the church was rebuilt, following the fire.

The Regional Government of the Azores classified the historical centre of Vila do Corvo on 10 April 1997 as an architecture Group of Public Interest, under resolution 69/97 (JORAA 15, 10 April 1997). The Directorate for Culture (Portuguese : Direção Regional da Cultura) initiated a process to classify eight sculptures as religious artifacts of public interest on 15 August 2013, sculptures that dated from the 17th and 18th century.^[2] The sculptures include images of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of the Conception), Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (Our Lady of the Miracles), São Bento (Saint Benedict), São Pedro, The Crucifixion and Senhor Morto (Our Lord Dead), all composed by unknown sculpture.^[2] The image of the Senhor Morto had been acquired in 1877, while the image of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres, dated to 1570, was executed by in Flanders.^[2]

The crucifixion of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely between AD 30 and 33. Jesus' crucifixion is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and is established as a historical event confirmed by non-Christian sources, although there is no consensus among historians on the exact details.

Architecture

A rectangular plan, the church is composed of a single nave and lower presbytery, with a lateral square bell-tower and various annexes.^[3] The spaces are deferentially covered in tile, and facades plastered and painted in white, while the corners, cornices and frames are painted in grey.

The principal facade is oriented towards the southeast, with plastered corners and terminated in a triangular pediment with Latin cross. The front portico, including alternating double frieze and double cornice, is surmounted by a small beam, with a frame terminated in cornice, and two windows framed and surmounted by frieze and cornice. On the left, is two register bell-tower with the second register that includes an arch over pilasters. It is covered by a pyramidal roof, and its corners crowned by pinnacles.

The lateral facades are terminated by friezes and cornices, with rectangular door framed by frieze and cornice and window. The annexes in the lateral facade are oriented towards the southeast with similar entrance.

Interior

Plastered and painted in white, the interior consists of one nave with wooden ceiling and a presbytery with false vaulted-ceiling in stucco, painted with phytomorphic motifs.

On the left is a rectangular pulpit basin resting on corbels extended inferiorly, with full guard consisting of carved, painted canopy.

The triumphal arch on pilasters, is flanked by carved polychrome altarpieces and concave plant. The presbytery includes a retable of polychromatic and gilded wood, rectangular with three axes defined by columns. The central axis is highlighted by an imaginario over corberls.

Related Research Articles

Vila do Porto is the single municipality, the name of the main town and one of the civil parishes on the island of Santa Maria, in the Portuguese archipelago of Azores. Its nearest neighbor, administratively, is the municipality of Povoação on the southern coast of São Miguel, and it is physically southwest of the islets of the Formigas. The population in 2011 was 5,552, in an area of 96.89 km².

Vila do Corvo is the smallest municipality in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, constituting the island of Corvo in its entirety. With a population of 430 in 2011, it is the least populated of the Portuguese municipalities, and the only Portuguese municipality, by law, without a civil parish. Its area is 17.11 square kilometres (6.61 sq mi).

Mosteiro is the smallest civil parish in the municipality of Lajes das Flores on the Portuguese island of Flores, in the archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 43, in an area of 5.99 square kilometres (2.31 sq mi).

Arrifes is a civil parish in the municipality of Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel in the Azores. The population in 2011 was 7,086, in an area of 25.37 km².

Ribeira Grande is a municipality in the northern part of the island of São Miguel in the Portuguese Azores. The population in 2011 was 32,112, in an area of 180.15 km². The municipal seat is located in the civil parish of Matriz, with a population of about 4000 inhabitants, part of the urbanized core of what is commonly referred to as the city of Ribeira Grande.

Povoação is a municipality located in the southeastern corner of the island of São Miguel in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 6,327, in an area of 106.41 km².

Almagreira is a civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Porto on the island of Santa Maria, in the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores. The population in 2011 was 599, in an area of 11.22 km². Bordering all other parishes of the island, it is located northwest of Vila do Porto.

Santo Espírito is a Portuguese civil parish, located in the municipality of Vila do Porto, in the autonomous region of Azores. The population in 2011 was 588, in an area of 26.68 km².

Vila do Porto is a civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Porto, located on the island of Santa Maria, in the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores. It is the southernmost and easternmost parish in the archipelago of Azores. The population in 2011 was 3,119, in an area of 25.55 km².

The Convent of São Francisco, originally designated the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Vitória, located in the Largo of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, in the civil parish of Vila do Porto, municipality of the same name on the island of Santa Maria, in the Portuguese in the Azores.

The Church of Santa Bárbara is a church in the civil parish of Cedros, municipality of Horta, on the Portuguese island of Faial in the archipelago of the Azores. Its parish falls within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Angra, and serves the parishioners of the northern coast from the border with Salão to Ribeira Funda.

The Convent of Caloura is a Portuguese 16th-century convent located in the civil parish of Água de Pau, in the municipality of Lagoa, on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores.

The Church of Nossa Senhora do Bom Despacho is the parochial church of the civil parish of Almagreira, located in the municipality of Vila do Porto, Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It is a church of masonry, plastered and painted, constructed with decorative pilasters, friezes and cornices, molds and corner pinnacles, with a carved retable and tile covering.

The Church of Santa Bárbara is a Roman Catholic church in the civil parish of Santa Bárbara, municipality of Vila do Porto, in the archipelago of the Azores. Located in the valley of the same name, the parochial church of Santa Bárbara was constructed sometime in the early 15th century and served the impoverished parish throughout its history, supported by personal donations and community assistance.

The (Old) Church of São Mateus da Calheta are the ruins of a 16th-century church situated along the coast of the civil parish of São Mateus da Calheta, municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, on the Portuguese island of Terceira, in the archipelago of the Azores. Reconstructed at the end of the 17th, or beginning of the 18th, century, the church was abandoned after a hurricane caused severe damage. The interior includes a baptismal font dating to the 16th century, although largely an open air ruin; the structure has experienced several interventions throughout the centuries, with the building painted and maintained in its post-hurricane state.

The Church of Santíssima Trindade is an 18th century church located in the civil parish of Mosteiro in the municipality of Lajes das Flores, in the Portuguese island of Flores, in the archipelago of the Azores.

The Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres is an 18th century church located in the civil parish of Lajedo in the municipality of Lajes das Flores, in the Portuguese island of Flores, in the archipelago of the Azores.

The Church of São Caetano is a 17th-century church located in the civil parish of Lomba in the municipality of Lajes das Flores, in the Portuguese island of Flores, in the archipelago of the Azores.

The Church of Benditas Almas is a 19th-century church located in the civil parish of Caveira in the municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores, in the Portuguese island of Flores, in the archipelago of the Azores.

The Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is an 18th-century church located in the civil parish of Santa Cruz in the municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores, in the Portuguese island of Flores, in the archipelago of the Azores.

References

1 2 Noé, Paula; Gavinha, José A. (2012). SIPA, ed. "Igreja Paroquial de Vila Nova do Corvo/Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Milagres" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico.
1 2 3 "Direção Regional da Cultura classifica imagens de assinalável interesse histórico da Igreja do Corvo" (in Portuguese). Ponta Delgada (Azores), Portugal: Açoriano Oriental. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
↑ Matriz do Corvo (in Portuguese), Vila do Corvo (Azores), Portugal: Direcção Regional de Cultura/Instituto Açoriano de Cultura, 18 August 1998, retrieved 14 October 2012

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[SIPA-1] 1 2 Noé, Paula; Gavinha, José A. (2012). SIPA, ed. "Igreja Paroquial de Vila Nova do Corvo/Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Milagres" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico.

[AO20130815-2] 1 2 3 "Direção Regional da Cultura classifica imagens de assinalável interesse histórico da Igreja do Corvo" (in Portuguese). Ponta Delgada (Azores), Portugal: Açoriano Oriental. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.

[IPIA-3] Matriz do Corvo (in Portuguese), Vila do Corvo (Azores), Portugal: Direcção Regional de Cultura/Instituto Açoriano de Cultura, 18 August 1998, retrieved 14 October 2012