Basílica de Nossa Senhora dos Mártires

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Street facade of the basilica

The Basílica de Nossa Senhora dos Mártires ( German  Basilica of Our Lady of Martyrs ) is a Roman Catholic church in the Portuguese capital Lisbon , located on Rua Garrett in the Chiado district . The church with the rank of a basilica minor was built in the late baroque and neoclassical style. It is an example of the high quality architecture and design of a church during the reconstruction of the city after the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Mello .

Predecessor church

View of the Church of the Martyrs Before the Earthquake , in a tile panel from the early 18th century Museu Nacional do Azulejo .

The parish of Notre Dame the Martyrs was founded immediately after the reconquest of Lisbon from the Moors in 1147. It was the first Catholic church in Lisbon and became the center for the city's oldest parish. The initial chapel was built as a place of worship of an image of Mary brought by the English crusaders and used to commemorate the soldiers who died in defense of the Christian faith. According to tradition, Alfonso I asked for help and protection from Our Lady. The first baptism in the city after the Reconquista took place in the chapel . After extensions around 1600 and additional side chapels around 1700, the chapel grew into a large baroque church, which was renovated in 1750 when it was completely destroyed by the earthquake in 1755.

Today's church

inside view

The present basilica was designed by Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos and was consecrated in March 1784. The single-nave church is framed by eight side chapels . It is lined inside with marble and has numerous statues and paintings.

The magnificent ceiling paintings and altarpieces are by Pedro Alexandrino de Carvalho and his student José António Narciso. The organ and the case with gilded carving were made by the organ builder António Xavier Machado e Cerveira. The Basilica of the Martyrs still has an eighteenth-century nativity scene with 126 figures, carved by the school of Machado de Castro.

The Lioz limestone facade is divided into three floors, the gable, the window floor and the portal area. Here, above the central portico, a commemorative medallion points to the original church: This bas-relief depicts Alfonso I accompanied by the legendary crusader Guilherme da Longa Espada, giving thanks to the Virgin Mary for the conquest of Lisbon. It is the work of Francisco Leal García. The bell tower is in the back of the building.

The baptismal font is from the original basilica before the earthquake. Among other things, Blessed Bartholomew the Martyr was baptized therein in 1514; Cardinal Luis de Sousa in 1630 and the poet Fernando Pessoa in 1888 .

Indulgence

Pope Pius VI With the breve of September 15, 1779 gave indulgence to every Catholic believer who “is really repentant, professing and strengthened by the Lord's Supper, solemnly visited the basilica on May 13th, full indulgence on the day before sunset of the same day when he prays there God for peace among the nations, for the orthodoxy of faith and for the faithfulness of the Holy Mother Church. "

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Basílica de Nossa Senhora dos Mártires on gcatholic.org
  2. ↑ History of the Church (port.)
  3. ↑ a b Basilica on snpcultura.org (port.)
  4. ↑ Visitor guide (port.)

Coordinates: 38 ° 42 ′ 38.1 ″  N , 9 ° 8 ′ 29.1 ″  W.