Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição
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The Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição in the southern Portuguese city of Beja in the Alentejo was occupied by nuns from the Poor Clares ; it now serves as a regional museum (Museu Regional de Beja) .
location
The church and monastery are located in the district of Santa Maria da Feira about 200 m south of the old town center of Beja at a height of about 280 m .
history
The convent was founded in 1453 by Dom Fernando, the first Duke of Beja, and his wife Dona Brites. The monastery buildings were expanded repeatedly in the following centuries. At the end of the 19th century, however, much was in poor condition, so that fundamental restoration work had to be undertaken.
architecture
The convent consists of a late Gothic church with adjoining monastery buildings, which also include a cloister (claustro) with a chapter house (Sala do Capítulo) .
- church
The church and its bell tower (campanário) have numerous balustrades . The single-nave interior is dominated by lavish baroque furnishings with side altars and a sermon pulpit . Two seated angels with flame swords , which are to be understood as heavenly guardians, are particularly inventive . The slightly recessed choir area is also extremely richly decorated.
- Cloister
The single-storey cloister was originally rather unadorned. It only gained luster in the 17th century through numerous geometric azulejo mosaics.
- Chapter House
The walls of the chapter room supported by a central column are covered with colored azulejos ; the vaults, however, are decorated with vegetable paintings. In the vaulted bezels there are paintings with biblical themes.
museum
The regional museum (Museu Rainha D. Leonor) presents exhibits from the Stone Age through Roman antiquity to the 19th century.
literature
- Leonel Borrela: Beja - Real Mosteiro de Nossa Senhora da Conceição. Arquivo de Beja, Beja, 1988
- Carlos Canelas: História dos Conventos de Beja. Arquivo de Beja, Beja, 1965
Web links
- Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição - photo + brief information (Portuguese)
- Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição - photos + brief information (Portuguese)
- Real Mosteiro de Nossa Senhora da Conceição - Photos + Info (Portuguese)
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 38 ° 0 ′ 50 " N , 7 ° 51 ′ 47" W.