Monuments

The beautiful monument that today stands proudly overlooking the river Tâmega was first begun in 1540 at the orders of the king D. João III.

One of the most notable features on the side of the church overlooking a small but attractive square is a beautiful Mannerist doorway with high niches containing granite statues. Those in the foreground represent St Francis and St Domingos de Gusmão, whilst in the background can be seen St Gonçalo, St Peter Martyr and St Thomas Aquinas, all enjoying the protection of Our Lady of the Rosary. This group of statues is surmounted by the royal coat of arms. The pediment displays a number of baroque features, most notably a set of twisted columns. Another attractive feature of this façade is the kings´ gallery, with four statues depicting D. João III, D. Sebastião, D. Henrique and Filipe II, the kings who reigned while the monastery and its church were being constructed. The monument is crowned by a tiled cupola.

The three-naved interior is surmounted by a triumphal arch. A small staircase leads to the baroque chancel with its interesting gilded wooden altarpiece. Next to these stairs is the chapel of St Gonçalo, containing the tomb of the monastery´s patron saint and holy matchmaker, famed for the patience with which he listened to women who were tired of being single. His limestone statue has been very carefully carved and is worthy of close study. Inside the main part of the church, attention should also be paid to the chapel of Santa Rita Cássia, with its gilded wooden altarpiece, and the beautiful eighteenth-century organ supported by gilded mythological figures.