European Ribbon

📖  Introduction

The Gothic church belonging to the Third Order of Saint Francis, situated on a hilltop, is one of the best-preserved sacred buildings in Porto. Its structure is completely adjacent to the Palacio da Bolsa, as the Stock Exchange Palace was built on the site of the former Franciscan monastery. This monastery was destroyed by fire during the siege of Porto in 1833 and subsequently razed to the ground. In its place, a new headquarters for the Porto merchants’ association was established.

Miraculously surviving, the Church of Saint Francis was declared a national monument in 1910. It amazes with its unique, remarkably preserved interior, which glistens with countless gold decorations. It also houses the world’s most valuable sculpture of the famous Jesse Tree, the genealogical tree of Jesus, created in the early 18th century.

Arrival of the Franciscans in Porto

The Gothic Church of Saint Francis, built between the 14th and 15th centuries, replaced an earlier, smaller, single-nave church.  The Franciscan Order likely arrived in Porto at the beginning of the 13th century. It is known that in 1233, Pope Gregory IX issued a directive to the diocese in Porto to facilitate the construction of the monastery. The first small church was built in 1244 after over 10 years of disputes with the bishop of Porto and local authorities, which were ultimately resolved by Pope Innocent IV. The original church, too small and cramped, also suffered from a fire. Therefore, in 1383, under the patronage of King Ferdinand I (1367-1383), the construction of the current church began, which has survived to this day. Completed around 1410, the three-nave church was characterized by the modest architecture typical of Gothic mendicant orders.

Baroque Gilding

During the Baroque period, the church’s interior was lavishly decorated. It is estimated that 300 kg of gold leaf was used for the decorations. The wealth of the decorations was so great that the church was temporarily closed for worship due to the poverty surrounding it.

The southern portal, facing the river, retained its Gothic character, with its top adorned with a pentagram and archivolts inspired by the Mudejar style. The main facade, during the Baroque period, gained a portal that can be seen under the decorative Gothic rose window, featuring a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi supported by spiral columns. The original polychrome figure of Saint Francis, dating back to the 13th-century church, is located in the Baroque altar near the entrance.

Inside the church, one can also find the oldest, intact wall painting in the country, dating back to the early 15th century – Senhora da Rosa, attributed to the artist Antonio Florentino. Most of the interior decor dates from the 18th century, including numerous gildings executed using the talha dourada technique. The most significant element of the interior of the Church of Saint Francis is the altar in the northern nave, depicting the Jesse Tree, a polychrome work by Filipe da Silva and Antonio Gomes, created between 1718 and 1721.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Church of Saint Francis also began to serve as a pantheon for many prominent Portuguese families, who funded chapels within the church and buried their loved ones there. In the church’s catacombs, alongside the Franciscan brothers and members of noble families, there is an ossuary with thousands of human bones that can be viewed through a glass window.

🚶Visit

Visiting the site requires a ticket, which grants access to the Church of the Franciscan Order, the Third Order of Saint Francis, and the Museum Catacombs.

Perpendicular to the Church of Saint Francis is the House of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Porto (Casa do Despacho). This building was constructed between 1746 and 1752, designed by Nicolau Nasoni. It is a three-story building where visitors can see former monastic rooms and 18th-century Portuguese sculptures. The catacombs in the basement, which make a significant impression, house the relocated bones of the deceased originally buried in the courtyard and inside the church.