Igreja de São Francisco

The Igreja de São Francisco stands on Rua de Almacave in Lamego, in the Douro Valley. It is what remains of a Franciscan convent built in 1599. Its exterior is very plain, typical of Franciscan architecture, while the interior holds 18th-century azulejos and religious paintings and sculpture that justify a stop on a walk through town.

From convent to church

The convent was built in 1599 and altered in the 17th century. Later, part of the building was occupied by a military hospital. The entrance was substantially altered in 1916, after a fire. What you see from the street is therefore discreet, unlike what the interior reveals.

What to see inside

Among the interior pieces are a 16th-century wooden image of Our Lady, a 17th-century altarpiece painting of the death of St Francis, and sacristy paintings of the saint's life. The frame of the main altar dates from the 17th century and the azulejos from the 18th. The chapel of Nossa Senhora das Dores has an iron gate dated 1803 and tile panels on the Passion of Christ.

Practical information

Address: Rua de Almacave, 5100-109 Lamego, in the Almacave area, near the Lamego Cathedral. The church belongs to the parish of Almacave, which has its own website (paroquiadealmacave.pt); check there, or with the Câmara Municipal de Lamego (cm-lamego.pt), for opening times. More suggestions in our guide to Lamego. The Lamego Castle is a few hundred metres away.