Igreja da Graça — former Gracianos convent, Lamego

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Graça

Lamego

Contacts and location

The Igreja da Graça, also known as the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Graça, stands on Rua Marquês de Pombal, beside Lamego's town hall, in the Douro Valley. It is what remains of the old Gracianos convent, commissioned in 1647, and it keeps a main altar of white-painted carved woodwork and a chapel of Nossa Senhora das Dores.

From the Gracianos convent to the church

The convent was commissioned in 1647 by Francisco de Almeida Cabral, a judge of the Paço. The old convent was eventually demolished to make way for the present town hall building, and only the church survives. The Renaissance doorway at the entrance was lost in the early 20th century, when Rua Marquês de Pombal, formerly Rua do Carvalho, was realigned.

What to see

Inside, the chapel of Nossa Senhora das Dores and the main altar, with its white-painted carved woodwork, stand out. At the top of the chancel arch you can see the founder's coat of arms, a reminder of the church's origins. Across the street is the Casa dos Pinheiros de Aragão, a manor house from the end of the 17th century, which makes this stretch of street a small architectural walk.

Practical information

Address: Rua Marquês de Pombal, Lamego, next to the town hall. It is in the centre of town, which has its own guide: Lamego. The sources consulted give no opening times: confirm them with the Câmara Municipal de Lamego (cm-lamego.pt) or the parish before you visit. The Lamego Castle is under two hundred metres away.