Viseu Cathedral is the Catholic bishopric seat of the city of Viseu, in Portugal. The church started being built in the 12th century and is the most important historical monument of the town. It is currently a mix of architectural styles, specially from the Manueline, Renaissance and Mannerist periods.
The cathedral is located on a large and harmonious square, beside the old Bishop's Palace (now the Grão Vasco Museum) and in front of the Misericórdia Church of Viseu.
Archaeological surveys have indicated that the site of Viseu Cathedral was occupied by an Early Christian basilica built during the times of Sueve domination (5th-6th centuries). Christian life in the city was disturbed in the 8th century with the arrival of Moorish invaders, who dominated Viseu until Ferdinand I of León reconquered it in 1058. The bishopric seat was reestablished in the mid-12th century, when the current cathedral building started being erected, but little remains from this early Romanesque building except for some architectural details. The church was greatly enlarged in the following centuries of the Middle Ages, assuming its present configuration as a three-aisled building with three Eastern chapels. Some Gothic chapels in the cloisters also date from this period.
From an artistic point of view, the most important building campaigns took place in the 16th century. Bishop Diogo Ortiz de Vilhena encharged architect João de Castilho with the construction of the stone roof of the church and a new façade, which were finished around 1513. Date from this time the rib vaulting of the aisles with decorative ribs in the shape of twisted ropes and knots, a masterpiece of the Manueline style. Around 1539, bishop Miguel da Silva entrusted the building of a new cloister to Italian architect Francisco da Cremona, who designed a fine Renaissance structure.
Also in the first half of the 16th century the cathedral was enriched with several series of painted altarpieces commissioned to leading artists of the time, the most celebrated of which was Vasco Fernandes. These altarpieces were later disassembled but can be seen nowadays in the Grão Vasco Museum, located beside the cathedral.
The old Gothic main chapel was replaced by a new one in the early 17th century. In 1635, a tower and the Manueline style portal were destroyed during a storm, and a new one was entrusted to Salamanca architect João Moreno. The current façade, in the shape of a Mannerist altarpiece, dates from this time. In the Baroque period the cathedral was enriched with an organ, pulpits, altarpieces and tiles ( azulejos ).
Viseu Cathedral is a Latin cross church with a three-aisled nave, transept and three Eastern chapels. The main façade is flanked by two towers. The outer, lateral walls of the church have a heavy, menacing appearance, typical of Portuguese mediaeval cathedrals, being partially decorated with merlons.
The South (clock) tower is still of mediaeval origin, while the North tower had to be rebuilt in the 17th century after a storm. The storm also destroyed the Manueline façade, which was rebuilt around 1635. The three-storey façade resembles a Mannerist altarpiece and is decorated with niches harbouring statues of the Four Evangelists, as well as the Holy Mary and Saint Theotonius.
In the interior, all aisles are of approximately equal height, resembling a hall church. The stone rib vaulting is supported by massive pillars and was built between 1505 and 1513, being an outstanding example of Manueline architecture. Some ribs of the roof (liernes) are shaped like twisted ropes and knots, typical Manueline decorative motifs.
The main chapel was rebuilt in Mannerist style and features a gilt-woodwork Baroque-Rococo altarpiece designed by famed sculptor Santos Pacheco, who was also responsible for the main altarpiece of Porto Cathedral. The altarpiece incorporates a Holy Mary statue from the 14th century and was carved between 1729 and 1733 by Francisco Machado. The choir stalls were built by Gaspar Ferreira after 1733.
To the South side of the cathedral there is a two-storey cloister originally built in the Middle Ages but greatly modified in the 16th-17th centuries. The ground floor is a typical Italian Renaissance work, built around 1539 by Francisco Cremona. The upper storey is a Mannerist gallery of the 17th century. The cloisters incorporate some Gothic chapels.
The Lisbon Cathedral, often called simply the Sé, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Lisbon, Portugal. The oldest church in the city is the seat of the Patriarchate of Lisbon. Built in 1147, the cathedral has survived many earthquakes and has been modified, renovated and restored several times. It is nowadays a mix of different architectural styles. It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.
The Manueline, occasionally known as Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese architectural style, originating in the 16th century, during the Portuguese Renaissance and Age of Discoveries. Manueline architecture incorporates maritime elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral. This innovative style synthesizes aspects of Late Gothic architecture with original motifs and influences of the Plateresque, Mudéjar, Italian, and Flemish architecture. It marks the transition from Late Gothic to Renaissance. The construction of churches and monasteries in Manueline was largely financed by proceeds of the lucrative spice trade with Africa and India.
The Jerónimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery, is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome near the Tagus river in the parish of Belém, in the Lisbon Municipality, Portugal; it was secularised on 28 December 1833 by state decree and its ownership transferred to the charitable institution, Real Casa Pia de Lisboa.
The Convent of Christ is a former Roman Catholic convent in Tomar, Portugal. Originally a 12th-century Templar stronghold, when the order was dissolved in the 14th century the Portuguese branch was turned into the Knights of the Order of Christ, that later supported Portugal's maritime discoveries of the 15th century. The convent and castle complex is a historic and cultural monument and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.
The Church or Monastery of São Vicente de Fora; meaning "Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls" is a 17th-century church and monastery in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is one of the most important monasteries and mannerist buildings in the country. The monastery also contains the royal pantheon of the Braganza monarchs of Portugal.
The Old Cathedral of Coimbra is a Romanesque Roman Catholic building in Portugal. Construction of the Sé Velha began some time after the Battle of Ourique (1139), when Prince Afonso Henriques declared himself King of Portugal and chose Coimbra as capital. The first Count of Coimbra, the Mozarab Sisnando Davides, is buried in the cathedral.
The Cathedral of Évora is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Évora, Portugal. It is one of the oldest and most important local monuments, lying on the highest spot of the city. It is part of the historical city centre, and the seat of the Archdiocese of Evora.
The Cathedral of Braga is a Roman Catholic church in the northern city of Braga, Portugal. Due to its long history and artistic significance, it is also one of the most important buildings in the country. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Braga and of the Primate Archbishop of Portugal.
The Cathedral of Guarda is a Catholic church located in the northeastern city of Guarda, Portugal. Its construction took from 1390 until the mid 16th century, combining Gothic and Manueline architectural styles.
The Alcobaça Monastery is a Roman Catholic monastic complex located in the town of Alcobaça, in central Portugal, some 120km north of Lisbon. The monastery was established in 1153 by the first Portuguese king, Afonso Henriques, and would develop a close association with the Portuguese monarchy throughout its seven-century-long history.
The Porto Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in the historical centre of the city of Porto, Portugal. It is one of the city's oldest monuments and one of the most important local Romanesque monuments.
The New Cathedral of Coimbra or the Cathedral of the Holy name of Jesus is the current bishopric seat of the city of Coimbra, in Portugal. The Cathedral is located near the historical University of Coimbra in the upper part of the town.
The Monastery of Jesus is a historical religious building in Setúbal, Portugal, which served a monastery of Poor Clare nuns. It is one of the first buildings in the Manueline style, the Portuguese version of late Gothic. The cloisters of the complex houses a museum of the monastery.
The Church of Saint Francis is the most prominent Gothic monument in Porto, Portugal, being also noted for its outstanding Baroque inner decoration. It is located in the historic centre of the city, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Grão Vasco Museum is an art museum located in the city of Viseu, in Portugal. The museum is named after one of the most important Portuguese painters of the Renaissance, Vasco Fernandes, who had his workshop in Viseu.
Portuguese architecture refers to both the architecture of present-day Portugal's territory in Continental Portugal, the Azores and Madeira, as well as the architectural heritage/patrimony of Portuguese architects and styles throughout the world, particularly in countries formerly part of the Portuguese Empire.
Portuguese Gothic architecture is the architectural style prevalent in Portugal in the Late Middle Ages. As in other parts of Europe, Gothic style slowly replaced Romanesque architecture in the period between the late 12th and the 13th century. Between the late 15th and early 16th century, Gothic was replaced by Renaissance architecture through an intermediate style called Manueline.
The architecture of the Portuguese Renaissance intimately linked to Gothic architecture and gradual in its classical elements. The Manueline style was a transitional style that combined Renaissance and Gothic ornamental elements to buildings that were architectonically closer to Gothic architecture, as is the Isabelline style of Spain. Manueline was succeeded by a brief Early Renaissance phase, closer to Classical canons, followed by the adoption of Mannerist forms. Portuguese Mannerism, specially in secular architecture, is characterised by simplicity in the organisation of façades and relative lack of decoration, being often referred to as Estilo Chão. Even with the arrival of Baroque architecture in the late 17th century, Portuguese architecture continued to use Mannerist forms well into the 18th century.
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. Since 1900, it houses the Instituto de Odivelas, a military school for young girls.
The Romanesque style of architecture was introduced in Portugal between the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th century. In general, Portuguese cathedrals have a heavy, fortress-like appearance, with crenellations and few decorative elements apart from portals and windows. Portuguese Romanesque cathedrals were later extensively modified, among others the Old Cathedral of Coimbra, although it only had some minor changes.
Coordinates: 40°39′35.75″N7°54′39.47″W / 40.6599306°N 7.9109639°W
| Ecclesiastical province of Braga |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Ecclesiastical province of Évora | ||
| Ecclesiastical province of Lisbon | ||
1 Metropolitan cathedral 2 Patriarchal cathedral 3 Co-cathedral 4 No longer used as cathedral | ||
