Convent of São Francisco (Vila do Porto)
Encyclopedia
The Convent of São Francisco, originally designated the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Vitória (which pertained to the Order of Saint Francis
), located in the Largo of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, in the civil parish
of Vila do Porto
, municipality of the same name
on the island of Santa Maria
, in the Portuguese
in the Azores
.
Agostinho de Monte Alverne's Crónicas da Província de São João Evangelista, the clergyman suggested that Father Manuel da Esperança had indicated that there were three explanations leading to the establishment of the first convent on the island of Santa Maria. In the only one identified, he recounted how Esperança had recounted that immediately after its discovery, clergy were sent to populate the island. These first clergy were joined by others, forming a prelate community. But since they did not have "religious leave" to practice the faith by the Holy See, they approached Pope Nicholos V, who issued a papal writ on 28 April 1450. Yet, the community, being very small and the residents poor, they could not support a formal diocese and the congregation quickly evaporated.
The location of the convent was also identified by Gaspar Frutuoso
, who believed that the first clergy on the island, remained along the northern coast, around Santa Ana, near Nossa Senhora dos Anjos (since the islets in the north were referred to as the ilhéus do Frade, or islets of the monk).
Monte Alverne determined that in the churchyard of the current convent, that an older hermitage
dedicated to Nossa Senhora de Nazaré (Our Lady of Nazareth) was constructed of hay and used for religious celebrations, and that the convent was used to lodge the monks. As the population of the island grew, the more the small hermitage became too small to support the growing community. The founders of the Convent, frair Manuel do Corpo Santo and Father António da Piedade, arrived on the island on 17 September 1607.
Part of the land used to erect the primitive convent was donated at the end of the 16th century by nobleman António Coelho (a squire
in the house of King Duarte), and his wife Catarina Vaz Velho, who he married in Vila do Porto. The construction of the convent was approved in 1607, and building began on 27 October. As Monte Alverne noted:
The convent and church were sacked by Barbary coast
pirates in 1616, and once again, in 1675. Reconstruction of the convent only began 1725, under the initiative of friar
Agostinho de São Francisco, who was responsible for conserving the original azulejo
tiles.
Since 1689, the cloister and interior garden became the place where classes in rhetoric
and latin
were held (these classes were famous in the archipelago for being open to all interested, regardless of their social condition). The curriculum included: a first and second class in latin; rhetoric (then referred to as aula prima (first class); and moral theology. In 1791, Queen Maria I of Portugal
, indicated her interest in establishing a chair in grammar at the convent, and on 23 March 1792, she established the appropriate stipend to support these classes.
By the beginning of the 19th century (in 1808 and 1822) the convent was expanded and remodelled.
Following the expulsion of the religious orders, in 18 October 1833, the Fazenda Nacional took over the property.
In 1842 and, again in 1979, restoration projects were completed in the convent.
By 31 July 1970 it had already been classified as an Property of Public Interest in decree 251/70 by the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) (General-Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments). Since this time, the building has been used by the local municipal authority (Câmara Municipal de Vila do Porto), including the Tribunal da Comarca de Vila do Porto (municipal courts) and the Secção de Finanças e Tesouraria (finances and treasury).
, is the Chapel of Santo António, covered in 16th century azueljos (in blue, yellow and white) with two panels depicting the life of Saint Anthony.
The square-shaped bell-tower, which is the main entrance the municipal offices and cloister, extends to three-floors, and topped by a railing of baluster
s, with ornate cornice
s and parapet
with pinnacles. Access to the building is made through a gated archway, while successive floors continue the Roman archway theme in windows and narrow, double bell-tower openings.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
), located in the Largo of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, in the civil parish
Freguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
of Vila do Porto
Vila do Porto (parish)
Vila do Porto is a civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Porto, located in the island of Santa Maria, in the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores. The parish has a population of 2997 in 2001, its density is 116 inhabitants/km² and a total area of 25.63 km²...
, municipality of the same name
Vila do Porto
Vila do Porto is the single municipality, the name of the main town and one of the civil parishes on the island of Santa Maria, in the Portuguese Autonomous Region of Azores...
on the island of Santa Maria
Santa Maria Island
Santa Maria , Portuguese for Saint Mary, is an island located in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago and the southernmost island in the Azores...
, in the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
.
History
In friarFriar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
Agostinho de Monte Alverne's Crónicas da Província de São João Evangelista, the clergyman suggested that Father Manuel da Esperança had indicated that there were three explanations leading to the establishment of the first convent on the island of Santa Maria. In the only one identified, he recounted how Esperança had recounted that immediately after its discovery, clergy were sent to populate the island. These first clergy were joined by others, forming a prelate community. But since they did not have "religious leave" to practice the faith by the Holy See, they approached Pope Nicholos V, who issued a papal writ on 28 April 1450. Yet, the community, being very small and the residents poor, they could not support a formal diocese and the congregation quickly evaporated.
The location of the convent was also identified by Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso was a Portuguese priest, historian and humanist from the island of São Miguel, in the Azores...
, who believed that the first clergy on the island, remained along the northern coast, around Santa Ana, near Nossa Senhora dos Anjos (since the islets in the north were referred to as the ilhéus do Frade, or islets of the monk).
Monte Alverne determined that in the churchyard of the current convent, that an older hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
dedicated to Nossa Senhora de Nazaré (Our Lady of Nazareth) was constructed of hay and used for religious celebrations, and that the convent was used to lodge the monks. As the population of the island grew, the more the small hermitage became too small to support the growing community. The founders of the Convent, frair Manuel do Corpo Santo and Father António da Piedade, arrived on the island on 17 September 1607.
Part of the land used to erect the primitive convent was donated at the end of the 16th century by nobleman António Coelho (a squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
in the house of King Duarte), and his wife Catarina Vaz Velho, who he married in Vila do Porto. The construction of the convent was approved in 1607, and building began on 27 October. As Monte Alverne noted:
- "It is this convent, dedicated to the Santissima Virigin of Victory, whose image came from our convent in the city of Ponta DelgadaPonta DelgadaPonta Delgada is a city and municipality on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It includes 44,403 residents in the urban area, and approximately 20,113 inhabitants in the three central parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro,...
..."
The convent and church were sacked by Barbary coast
Barbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
pirates in 1616, and once again, in 1675. Reconstruction of the convent only began 1725, under the initiative of friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
Agostinho de São Francisco, who was responsible for conserving the original azulejo
Azulejo
Azulejo from the Arabic word Zellige زليج is a form of Portuguese or Spanish painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture, having been produced without interruption for five centuries...
tiles.
Since 1689, the cloister and interior garden became the place where classes in rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
and latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
were held (these classes were famous in the archipelago for being open to all interested, regardless of their social condition). The curriculum included: a first and second class in latin; rhetoric (then referred to as aula prima (first class); and moral theology. In 1791, Queen Maria I of Portugal
Maria I of Portugal
Maria I was Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious , or Maria the Mad , she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
, indicated her interest in establishing a chair in grammar at the convent, and on 23 March 1792, she established the appropriate stipend to support these classes.
By the beginning of the 19th century (in 1808 and 1822) the convent was expanded and remodelled.
Following the expulsion of the religious orders, in 18 October 1833, the Fazenda Nacional took over the property.
In 1842 and, again in 1979, restoration projects were completed in the convent.
By 31 July 1970 it had already been classified as an Property of Public Interest in decree 251/70 by the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) (General-Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments). Since this time, the building has been used by the local municipal authority (Câmara Municipal de Vila do Porto), including the Tribunal da Comarca de Vila do Porto (municipal courts) and the Secção de Finanças e Tesouraria (finances and treasury).
Architecture
The group of buildings is actually oriented around the principal entranceway-tower, and includes a rectangular two-story building and courtyard (cloister) grafted to the portico/clock-tower of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Vitória and the Chapel of the Terceiros.Church
The Church of Nossa Senhora da Vitória (Our Lady of Victory)is a long rectangular temple grafted along one wall of the cloister (to the right of the main entranceway) and is also three-storeys tall. The main chapel, similarly rectangular, but much narrower, is covered in a vaulted ceiling with a niche located opposite the main entrance. On the nave wall on the side of the epistleEpistle
An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum. The letters in the New Testament from Apostles to Christians...
, is the Chapel of Santo António, covered in 16th century azueljos (in blue, yellow and white) with two panels depicting the life of Saint Anthony.
The square-shaped bell-tower, which is the main entrance the municipal offices and cloister, extends to three-floors, and topped by a railing of baluster
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
s, with ornate cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
s and parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with pinnacles. Access to the building is made through a gated archway, while successive floors continue the Roman archway theme in windows and narrow, double bell-tower openings.