About

The church of Santa Clara do Porto was part of the former female monastic complex of the Order of the Poor Clares, founded in 1416 and dissolved in 1900. It is a landmark of the Portuguese Baroque and one of the finest examples of gilded woodwork in Portugal, containing some of the most remarkable works of the carvers of the Oporto school.

Concierge

Concierge

Currently a visitor reception area and ticket office, featuring blue and white tiles from the first half of the 17th century, it was once the entrance to the convent for the Poor Clares. The openings in the wall, now boarded up, allowed access to the dormitories and the cloister.

Lower choir

Lower choir

A space used by the nuns to attend liturgical celebrations and practice the divine offices. In the 17th century, it was covered in tiles, vestiges of which remain near the grid, and has a coffered ceiling from the 17th century, painted white and green, preserving the existing 19th century layer. The space currently serves as a museum centre, where various cultural objects from other parts of the former convent can be seen.

Church

Church

A space dedicated to the population for worship and liturgical practices. The church’s original stone structure dates to 1416, although it was raised in height because of the work undertaken at the end of the 17th century and during 1730s. Its interior is the result of an accumulation of artistic layers, combining elements from the 17th century with forms from the Joanine Baroque of the second quarter of the 18th century, featuring an abundance of decoration, where polychromy and gilding are harmoniously integrated. The master carver Miguel Francisco da Silva did all the gilding in the 1730s.

Upper choir

Upper choir

Serving the same function as the lower choir, the only difference is that this space was reserved for the abbess, professed nuns and other important members of the convent, following a hierarchical structure. The current armchair, whose artistic quality lies mainly in the misericords, the tile cladding, and the coffered ceiling, with vegetal paintings, were executed between 1680 and 1683, completely transforming the space. One of the main figures responsible for these works was the master carpenter Manuel da Rocha, a regular collaborator of the convent during the last quarter of the century.

Cronologia

  • 1405

    Pope Innocent VII, in the bull Sacrae Religionis and with the influence of Queen Filipa de Lancastre, authorizes the relocation of the nuns from the Monastery of Santa Clara do Torrão, in Entre-os-Rios, at the confluence of the River Tâmega with the River Douro, an isolated place prone to evildoers, to the place of “Carvalhos do Monte” within the fortified city.

  • 1416

    The first stone of the Church was laid and blessed by the Bishop of Porto, D. Fernando da Guerra, in the presence of D. João I, who funded a large part of the convent's construction, and his son, Infante D. Afonso.

  • 1427

    The community of Torrão was transferred to the Monastery of Santa Clara do Porto.

  • 1457

    Construction of the church was completed.

  • 1730 / 1732

    A contract was signed with Miguel Francisco da Silva to enlarge the church and cover it with gilded woodwork.

  • 1834

    Joaquim António de Aguiar, Minister and Secretary of the Kingdom, decreed the extinction of religious orders. However, cloistered life was allowed until the death of the last nun in the women's convents.

  • 1895

    By decree of 17th April, the parish was granted the use of the church and the premises necessary for worship and the free practice of parish functions.

  • 1900

    Death of the last nun and closure of the convent.

  • 2014-2015

    First phase of restoration work, as part of the application submitted by the Direção Regional de Cultura do Norte (DRCN) to the Património Cultural measure of ON2/QREN, with the patronage support of the Fundação Millennium BCP.

  • 2016-2021

    Continuation of the restoration work promoted by the DRCN, with 85% of the funding co-financed by the Norte 2020 Operational Program and the European Regional Development Fund, and with the patronage of the Irmandade dos Clérigos, Fundação Millennium BCP and Associação Comercial do Porto.

  • 2021

    Reopening of the Church of Santa Clara do Porto.

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