Description of the attraction
The Church of Santa Cruz (Church of the Lord's Cross) of the 17th century was built at the direction of Geronimo Portilo, the founder of the Order of the Lord's Cross. The construction took place under the patronage of Archbishop Afonso Furtado de Mendonça. The church is located in the historical part of the city, near the Braga Cathedral.
The construction took over a hundred years. The construction of the temple began in 1625, and was completed only in 1739. The work was carried out slowly, because of this, the temple began to decay. And in 1731, Manuel Fernandez da Silva and other masters were invited for the restoration work. In 1734, the walls of the church were destroyed, leaving only the facade of the building. The church was completely rebuilt in 1739.
The majestic building of the Church of Santa Cruz, and especially the stone façade of the temple, is very expressive. The façade is adorned with two bell towers, each of which has a built-in clock, and graceful weather vane ends at the end of the towers. The building combines two architectural styles: Mannerism and Baroque.
Inside, the church has a high nave, the walls of which are built of square stone blocks. The vault of the nave of the church is in the shape of a cylinder and is supported by three supporting arches. There are three chapels on each side of the nave. The interior is replete with carved, gilded works of art from the 18th century. The altar image, organ and arches inside the temple are also covered with gilding. The sermon pulpit deserves special attention. The walls are decorated with panels and paintings of the 17th-18th centuries. In the 18th century, restoration work was carried out in the church, which significantly changed the appearance of the temple.
Reviews
| All reviews 5 Polina 2013-12-04 10:34:34 PM
Beautiful church The weather was very nice and sunny. It was neither cold nor hot. My friends and I took a camera and went on an excursion to the Church of Santa Cruz. So many cool shots were captured. But, most likely, what we photographed will not be conveyed by more than one professional photographer. This is such a beautiful church …
