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Arouca Abbey

Coordinates: 40°55′41″N 8°14′48″W / 40.92806°N 8.24667°W / 40.92806; -8.24667
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Monastery of Arouca
Native name
Mosteiro de Arouca (Portuguese)
Church of São Bartolomeu, Parochial Church of Arouca
The dominant facade of the 10th century monastery of Arouca
EtymologySaint Bartholomew
LocationArouca, Aveiro, Portugal
Coordinates40°55′41″N 8°14′48″W / 40.92806°N 8.24667°W / 40.92806; -8.24667
Built18th century
ArchitectCarlo Gimach

The Monastery of Arouca (Template:Lang-pt), located in civil parish of Arouca e Burgo, in the municipality of Arouca, in northern Portuguese district of Aveiro

History

The austere front facade of the monastery
The ornate choir stalls within the choir ny António Gomes and Filipe da Silva

The monastery was founded in the 10th century, in honour of St. Peter, by Loderigo and Vandilo, discovered in a fragment of a notice with the initials ERO.[1] But, sometime during that century (1085-1095) it adopted the orders of St. Bartholomew (Template:Lang-pt), although it remained a shared institution until the 12th century.[1] The oldest documented reference dates to 1091, referring to the old religious community in Arouca.[1]

Sometime between 1132 and 1143, a couto letter was issued by D. Afonso Henriques to the monastery, and from 1154, the monastery became a unique home for nuns.[1]

In 1226, through a request from D. Mafalda, daughter of King D. Sancho I, a papal bull was issued to adapt the monastery to the Cistercian order, leading to her beginning her life at the monastery in 1229.[1] By the time of her death, the site was one of the more important convents in the peninsula.[1]

Vestiges of the rose window, suggests it dated to the 14th century, probably removed from a primitive Romanesque place of worship.[1]

From the end of the 15th century to the beginning of the 16th century, there was work on the monastic buildings, including new spaces and altars, constructed the abadess of D. Leonor Coutinho de D. Melícia de Melo.[1] Between 1596-1597, panels from the retable were painted by Diogo Teixeira.[1]

At the end of the 17th century, the first reconstructions and expansions of the monastic complex were initiated, in the western and north wings.[1] On 28 February 1701, there was a contract between abadess and masters António Gomes and João da Costa to remaking the altar for 600$000 réis.[1] Yet, the following year (on 24 November) during a state visit, the church was referred to as being in a miserable state.[1] This resulted in a new plan by Carlos Gimac for the church.[1] Between 1704 and 1718. work on the church was undertaken, that included the nun's choir that would persist for the next 30 years. On 8 February 1722, António Gomes and Filipe da Silva worked on the choir chairs and gilded woodwork for 850$000 réis (completed on 21 October 1724), while on 12 June 1723, a new contract was issued for work on the retable by Luís Vieira da Cruz, at a cost of 1:000$000 rés.[1]

In early 1725, there was a fire in the monastery, but was followed on 22 February by another, that destroyed the convent, the work on the Church and sleeping quarters, which included damage to recent sculptures by Braga Jacinto Vieira.[1] Work almost initiated immediately on the convent: on 29 April 1733, gildwork on the reformed retable was initiated by João Nunes de Abreu and Manuel Cerqueira Mendes (from Lisbon) for 2,200$000 réis.[1] Similar reconstruction, additions and works in the following years that lasted to the end of the 18th century.[1] This included: the creation of the retable of Senhor dos Passos (in the ante-choir) and the retable of Senhor da Cana Verde (in 1733); construction of new dormitories (between 1733 and 1734) by Gaspar Ferreira; and the organ was repaired by D. Benito Gomez de Herrera, of 4,300$000 réis (between 1737-1738).[1] This was followed by: the execution of the six retables in the church by Miguel Francisco da Silva; execution of the organ by Manuel Bento Gomes (in 1739); gilding of the same retables in the nave (from 8 November 1741); followed by similar gilding in the main chapel by Manuel Cerqueira Mendes (from Lisbon); gilding of the angels in the tomb of Santa Mafalda and images of St. Bartholemew and St. Bernard; gilding the organ (in 1743); the retable and front of the altar to São Bento (in the anti-choir) by José da Fonseca Lima (for 170$000 rés); gilding of the retable (in 1744); and the funerary urn dedicated to Santa Mafalda was completed by José Francisco de Paiva and António Faria Soares (in 1793).[1]

By the end of the second half of the 18th century, these grand decorations ultimately lead to completion of the southern and western part of the convent, refectory, capital hall and kitchen. Between 1781 and 1785, the cloister was finally completed.[1]

The last nun died on 3 June 1886. In 1792, D. Mafalada was beatified.[1]

In 1890, the Brotherhood of Rainha Santa Mafalda was created to preserve the artefacts from the monastery. During this period the organ was restored by a priest from Viseu.[1]

At the end of the 19th century, a few lines of walls, that limited the monastery and encircled the village, disappeared following the extinction of the institution.[1] This occurred when the roadway connecting Arouca and the coast was constructed.[1]

In 1935, there was another fire at the monastery, resulting in new construction to rehabilitate the site.[1]

On 13 August 1986, the monastery was partially transferred to the Direcção Regional de Entre Douro e Minho (Regional Directorate for Entre Douro e Minho), while in 1990, it was placed into the management of the municipal council of Arouca.[1]

On 1 June 1992, the property was, once again, transferred to the IPPAR Instituto Português do Património Arquitetónico (Portuguese Institute for Architectural Patrimony), by decree 106F/92.[1]

On 20 December 2007, it became the responsibility of the Direção Regional da Cultura do Norte (Regional Directorate for Culture in the North), by dispatch 1130/2007 (Diário da República, Série 2, 245).[1]

Architecture

The triumphal archway at the chancel of the monastery
The detailed wood choir stalls
The Baroque era pipe organ

Isolated near the entrance to the city, and located at regional crossroads, the monastery overlooks a valley encircled by the Serra da Freita, the Serra Mó and the Serra de Gamarão.[1]

It is a rectangular plan comprising a principal structure oriented north to south, with annexes on the smaller wings, all covered in tiled roof.[1] The smaller wings (in the north and south) shelter the church and cellars (to the north) and the group of buildings around the cloister and two longitudinal patios (in the south), from north to south, the Pátio do Norte and Pátio dos Comuns, respectively. Around these patios are the former monastic cells.[1] The western wing is limited by two towers/lookouts, three-stories high (four on the towers), rhythmically designed with rectangular vanes with frames of stonework and marked by a system of colossal pilasters at the corners.[1] The pilasters are place on high entablatures and decorative pinnacles at the angles, marked by the church, divided into stonework sections.[1] The lateral portico is implanted in the middle of the navem with a double stonework frame, Tuscan pillars with pyramidal pinnacles and semi-circular decoration.[1] The annexes facades are covered in rectangular windows covered in grade.[1]

Interior

The church interior consists of three rectangles coinciding with the choir, nave an presbytery.[1] The choir, separated by railing with long high-back choir stalls, line the whole chorus-bass, an intermediary body with rectangular edicules that shelter images and decorated by three lines of arcs with lunettes.[1] Its single larger nave, divided is divided into two registers and rhythmically marked by sections with Tuscan pilaster, while above they appear as inverted pyramids. The lateral chapels include shallow archivolts, with retables of gilded carvings, one with a pulpit and the other with lateral entrance to the temple.[1] Above these are shell-shaped niches alternating with rectangular windows, and vaulted ceiling with lunettes.[1] The main chapel with high altar vertically oriented includes a vaulted ceiling, with illumination coming from the high choir, nave and chancel windows.[1] The cloister is preceded by a galilee formed by arch and portal with an interrupted triangular pediment in the interior, joined to two rectangular gratings. Comprising two floors with archivolts, with segments marked by Tuscan and Ionian capitals along the upper floor, including balconies with iron railings.[1]

The church includes choir stalls forming a "U", that includes 104 stalls, distributed over two rows and middle door.[1] There were also important works in the temple by André Gonçalves and stone sculptures of Braga Jacinto Vieira (1725), while the Joanino (1723-1733) altarpiece was authored by the Bracarense Luís Vieira da Cruz.[1]

Among the works in the Sacred Art Museum are a large group of sculptures, paintings, jewelry, ceramics, books and other artefacts.[1]

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar Alçada, Margarida; Ruão, Carlos; Costa, Anouk (1998), SIPA (ed.), Mosteiro de Arouca/Museu de Arte Sacra de Arouca/Igreja Paroquial de Arouca/Igreja de São Bartolomeu (IPA.00001039/PT010104030002) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 23 April 2017

Sources

  • Azevedo, Correia de (1975), Arte Monumental Portuguesa (in Portuguese), vol. 1, Porto, Portugal, pp. 34–36{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Brandão, Domingos de Pinho (1986), Obra de talha dourada, ensamblagem e pintura na cidade e na Diocese do Porto-Documentação (in Portuguese), vol. I/II/III, Porto, Portugal: Diocese do Porto
  • Carvalho, Ayres de (1962), D. João V e a arte do seu tempo, II (in Portuguese)
  • Cocheril, Dom Maur (1972), Notes sur l'Architecture et le Décor dans les Abbayes Cisterciennes au Portugal (in Portuguese), Paris, France: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
  • Cocheril, Dom Maur (1986), Routier des Abbayes Cisterciennes au Portugal (in Portuguese), Paris, France: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
  • Coelho, Maria Helena (1988), O Mosteiro de Arouca. Do século X ao século XIII (in Portuguese), Arouca, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • "Carregada" de história (in Portuguese), Arouca, Portugalhonra o seu Passado, Comércio do Porto, 22 September 1989, pp. 7–8{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Coelho, Maria Helena (1989), Arouca, uma Terra, um Mosteiro, uma Santa (in Portuguese), Arouca, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Dias, Pedro (1980), Mosteiro de Arouca (in Portuguese), Coimbra, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • História da Arte em Portugal, Vol. 9, Alfa (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal, 1986{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Ferreira-Alves, Natália Marinho (1991), "De arquitecto a entalhador. Itinerário de um artista nos séculos XVII e XVIII", Actas do I Congresso Internacional do Barroco (in Portuguese), vol. I, Porto, Portugal, pp. 355–369{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Gomes, Marques (1909), "Mosteiro de Arouca", Arte (in Portuguese) (5 ed.)
  • Gonçalves, Nogueira (1991), Inventário Artístico de Portugal. Distrito de Aveiro, XI (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal, pp. 39–66{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Júnior, Manuel R. Simão (1951), Mosteiro de Arouca. A Dona abadessa donatária no couto de Fráguas, Arquivo do Distrito de Aveiro, XVII (in Portuguese), pp. 292–306
  • MOP, ed. (1956), Relatório da Actividade do Ministério no ano de 1955 (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: Ministério das Obras Públicas
  • MOP, ed. (1957), Relatório da Actividade do Ministério no ano de 1956 (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: Ministério das Obras Públicas
  • MOP, ed. (1959), Relatório da Actividade do Ministério nos anos de 1957 e 1958 (in Portuguese), vol. 1, Lisbon, Portugal: Ministério das Obras Públicas
  • MOP, ed. (1960), Relatório da Actividade do Ministério nos Anos de 1959, 1º Volume (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: Ministério das Obras Públicas
  • Rocha, Manuel Joaquim Moreira da (2007), "O Mosteiro-cidade na Génese e Desenvolvimento Urbano: Uma interpretação do espaço", Revista da Faculdade de Letras: Ciências e Técnicas do Património (in Portuguese), vol. V–VI (Série 1 ed.), Porto, Portugal, pp. 527–548{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Smith, Robert C. (1968), Cadeirais de Portugal (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal, pp. 64–67, 91{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Valença, Manuel (1990), A Arte Organística em Portugal (in Portuguese), vol. I, Braga, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Vitorino, Pedro (1937), O Mosteiro de Arouca (in Portuguese), vol. III, Arquivo do Distrito de Aveiro, pp. 11–28
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