Church of São João Evangelista (Aveiro)
| Church of São João Evangelista (Igreja de São João Evangelista) | |
| Church of Discalced Carmelites, Church of St. John the Evangelist | |
| Church (Igreja) | |
 The Church of São Evangelista (right) and the former annexes of the Carmelite Convent | |
| Official name: Igreja das Carmelitas/Igreja de São João Evangelista | |
| Named for: John the Evangelist | |
| Country |  Portugal |
|---|---|
| Region | Centro |
| Subregion | Baixo Vouga |
| District | Aveiro |
| Municipality | Aveiro |
| Location | Glória e Vera Cruz |
| Styles | Baroque, Roccoco |
| Materials | Masonry, Limestone, Azulejo, Wood, Tile |
| Owner | Portuguese Republic |
| For public | Public |
| Easiest access | Praça Marquês de Pombal, Rua de Joaquim António de Aguiar (former Rua das Carmelitas) |
| Management | Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico |
| Status | National Monument |
| Listing | Decree 16 June 1910; DG 136, 23 June 1910; Special Protection Zone, DG Dispatch, Série II, 11, 13 January 1961 |
| Wikimedia Commons: Igreja das Carmelitas | |
A Church of São João Evangelista (Portuguese: Igreja de São João Evangelista), or Carmelite Church of Aveiro, is an 18th-century church, located in the Praça Marquês de Pombal, in the civil parish of Glória e Vera Cruz, in the Portuguese municipality of Aveiro, classified as a national monument since 1910.
History
The monastery of São João Evangelista (to which the church belonged) was refuge of the Discalced Carmelites, and it was constructed in 1657 following testamentary disposition of D. Brites de Lara, widow of Pedro de Médicis (son of Cosimo de' Medici), a patron of the Aveirense convent.[1][2]
It was originally constructed as a residential palace, a request was made to D. John IV of Portugal found a convent.[2] Authorization was conceded posthumously, and only after his descendent (Raimundo of Lencastre, 4th Duke of Aveiro) began the adaptation of the palace to a convent.[1][2][3] The first Carmelite sisters began arriving from convents in Lisbon, in 1658.[1][4]
The first phase of the construction carried through the reign of Peter II of Portugal. The church was begun in 1704, transforming the palace chapel to conventual temple.[2][5] Succeeding building campaigns, along the 18th century added many decorative elements (including gilded woodwork, azulejo, paintings and sculpture) completing profound renovations. The last public works were completed in 1738 by D. Gabriel, 7th Duke of Aveiro.[1]
The last Carmelite at the convent died on 1879.[1]
The convent was almost completely destroyed in 1905 to expand the main square.[1][2][6]
On 1 June 1992 the property came under care of the Instituto Português do Património Arquitetónico (Portuguese Institute of Architectural Patrimony), under Decree-law 106F/92 (Diário da Repúblic, Série A, 126).[1] On 14 August, a publice competition was held to complete conversation and restoration work on the property.[1]
Architecture
The church is located in an urban area, addorsed to the remains of the antique annexes of the former convent, currently occupied by offices of the PSP, fronting the public square that includes landscaped modern administrative buildings.[1] São João Evangelista fronts the Tribunal (PT020105060078), on either side of it the Civil Governor's building (PT020105060084), on its left, and the CTT building (PT020105060087) on its right; to its left is the former fire station (PT020105060110).[1]
Presenting a somber facade, this simple rectangular church includes a sacristy along the axis of the presbytery.[2] The interior is decorated in ornate gilded woodwork, that cover the walls and ceilings in proto-Baroque, Baroque and Rococo styles.[2] In addition to framing a number of wall paintings, similar woodwork frame the presbytery over an image of the life of Mary and on the ceiling the life of Christ. Similarly, along the nave is gilded woodwork framing the life of St. Teresa of Ávila. Halfway along the walls are blue and white azulejo tiles, attributed to António Vital Rifarto of Coimbra in the 18th century: he was also responsible for gilded woodwork to the ceiling.[2][7]
References
Notes
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Alçada, Margarida; Ruão, Carlos; Costa, Anouk (1998), SIPA, ed., Igreja das Carmelitas/Igreja de São João Evangelista (IPA.00001041/PT020105060002) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 17 September 2015
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Carvalho, Rosário (2015), DGPC, ed., Igreja das Carmelitas (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: Direção-Geral do Património Cultural, retrieved 19 September 2014
- ↑ José Martins Belinquete (1996), p.6
- ↑ José Martins Belinquete (1996), p.16-17
- ↑ Francisco Ferreira Neves (1957), p. 244
- ↑ Francisco Ferreira Neves (1957), p. 245
- ↑ José António Ferreira de Almeida (19769, p.112-113
Sources
- Neves, Francisco Ferreira (1957), A fundação e extinção do convento das carmelitas descalças de Aveiro, (in Portuguese) (XXIII ed.), Arquivo do Distrito de Aveiro, pp. 241–257
- Gonçalves, Nogueira (1959), Inventário Artístico de Portugal (in Portuguese) (VI ed.), Lisbon: Distrito de Aveiro, pp. 130–133
- Ministério das Obras Públicas, ed. (1960), Relatório da Actividade do Ministério nos Anos de 1959 (in Portuguese), I, Lisbon
- Neves, Amaro (1984), Aveiro. História e Arte (in Portuguese), Aveiro, Portugal
- Gil, Júlio; Calvert, Nuno (1995), As mais belas cidades de Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal, p. 90
- Almeida, José António Ferreira de (1976), "Tesouros Artísticos de Portugal", Seleções do Reader's Digest (in Portuguese), Lisbon, pp. 112–113
- Belinquete, José Martins (1996), As carmelitas em Aveiro ontem e hoje (in Portuguese), Aveiro, Portugal
Coordinates: 40°38′18″N 8°39′12″W / 40.6383°N 8.6534°W