ITINERARY 2
A FLOURISHING AND LONG 16TH CENTURY (MANUELIN PERIOD)
A visit to Torrão allows us to see a significant part of Portugal's history and the country's economic, social and cultural development in the last 600 years. Proving this reality, we have the diversity of the built heritage, of a religious or civil nature, which maintains, to this day, a singular monumentality and beauty, when understood as a whole in the Alentejo context. The 16th century, also in the figure of the palatial poet Bernardim Ribeiro, marks the apogee of the development of this town in a medieval context.
Walking through its streets, the visitor is surprised by the treasures enclosed within its various whitewashed churches, by the Manueline porticoes that still exist, and by the organic structure of the village that maintains its main neuralgic points, until nowadays.
See below the description of the points to visit and know more about the additional experiences.
Useful information
Duration: 1 day
Total distance: 3.5 km
Recommended transportation:
by car or on foot
Recommended age: All ages
Level of Difficulty: Easy
1. Church of Nossa Senhora da Albergaria
Start by visiting the Church of Nossa Senhora da Albergaria, also known as Igreja da Misericórdia, in the heart of the historic center of Vila do Torrão. Built by D. Margarida de Areada, the construction of this building began between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century. Enter and appreciate the four 16th-century sacred art altarpieces depicting the Annunciation, Visitation, Birth and Calvary of Christ. In 1994, it underwent conservation and restoration works that restored it to its original splendour.
In front of the great Cruzeiro, placed where it currently stands during the 19th century, the visitor will find a tile with a reference to the place where the poet Bernardim Ribeiro lived, placed on the wall of a very transformed house. Little is known for sure about the biography of the poet who, according to local memory, was born on this street.
Author of the well-known work “Menina e Moça”, the Renaissance poet Bernardim Ribeiro was born around 1482 and died in 1552. He soon left for Lisbon in contact with the Court. He must have belonged to the circle of palace poets of the time, such as Sá de Miranda or Gil Vicente. Bernardim Ribeiro is considered one of the most outstanding names in the history of national literature, having influenced many other writers who succeeded him.
To visit, go to the Parish Council (Hours: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12.30 pm and from 2 pm to 4.30 pm) or contact: 265 669 245 / freguesia.torrão@mail.telepac.pt
2. Church and Convent of São Francisco
We continue until to the Convent of São Francisco, built on the foundations of a chapel dedicated to S. Sebastião – saint protector of the plague. Built in the second half of the century. In the 16th century, the Convento de São Francisco underwent significant changes in 1737. Inside the Church there are several Baroque-style elements. During the century XVIII, proving the importance of these religious centers especially in peripheral contexts, the Convent housed for several years a literacy school for children, also dedicated to the teaching of Latin.
To visit, go to the Parish Council (Hours: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12.30 pm and from 2 pm to 4.30 pm) or contact: 265 669 245 / freguesia.torrão@mail.telepac.pt
3. Convent of Nossa Senhora da Graça
Continue to the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Graça, passing through Rua das Freiras and try to find the Manueline portico that resisted the transformations that several older dwellings in this historic center underwent.
Regarding the Convento das Clarissas, a female counterpart of São Francisco, it was founded by Brites Pinto in the 16th century, but only in 1599 it receives the designation of Monastery by the Infanta D. Maria, daughter of D.Manuel I. With mannerist architecture and simple exterior decoration, it impresses by the unexpected monumentality in the context of Vila do Torrão, which proves the importance das Clarisas in the religious, economic, cultural and training context in the village and in the region. Its extinction dates back to September 1882, after the death of the last religious, as prescribed in the extinction of religious orders in 1834.
4. Mother Church
Igreja Matriz da Vila, dedicated to the patron saint of Torrão, Nossa Senhora da Assunção, is a temple located in the oldest part of the village. The start of its construction dates back to the 18th century, similar to the neighboring main churches of Alvito and Viana do Alentejo. After several alterations over time, it boasts the Manueline style both in the entrance portico and in various details inside. Before entering to appreciate the various side chapels with altarpieces of Mannerist and Baroque painting, stop for a while by the main portal and discover the decorative elements characteristic of the taste of the time.
To visit, go to the Parish Council (Hours: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12.30 pm and from 2 pm to 4.30 pm) or contact: 265 669 245 / freguesia.torrão@mail.telepac.pt
5. Former Town Hall
We return to the center of the village, more precisely to Praça Bernardim Ribeiro, where the sculpture of this poet, pen in hand, can be appreciated. Facing the square are the Old Town Hall, currently the Parish Council, a building that has always been dedicated to the administrative affairs of Torrão, formerly the seat of the Municipality. According to popular memory, the room where the administrative services of the Junta currently operate would have once served as a prison. Attached to this building, characterized by the blue bars, we also find the Biblioteca do Torrão, a service that occupies the space of the former Igreja do Carmo, of small dimensions, built in the transition from the 17th to the 18th century.
6. Ethnographic Museum of Torrão
Two minutes away is the Ethnographic Museum of Torrão, a must-visit museum for those who want to know better the cultural heritage of this town, especially the gastronomic traditions centered on the cycles of nature, agriculture and, of course, bread as a symbolic element, economic and cultural.
In this space you can also appreciate some of the archaeological artefacts discovered in the region, over several years.
7. Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Bom Sucesso
We finish the itinerary next to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Bom Sucesso, one of the ex-libris of this Alentejo village, which welcomes those who come from the EN383. Whitewashed in yellow and white, this chapel emerges at the highest point of the village. It was built in March 1729 by authorization of King D. João V, taking into account the small dimensions of the primitive chapel that already existed in the same place, built in the reign of D. Manuel I, and which gathered a large number of faithful on pilgrimage days, which is proved by the existence of the old pilgrims' houses, on the side of the chapel. It is part of the traditional Portuguese Baroque style, in this case, with a regional character, and its interior is richly decorated with mural painting. From the outside, take the opportunity to enjoy the view over Torrão and the surrounding landscape, between the cork oak and the olive grove as far as the eye can see.
To visit, go to the Parish Council (Hours: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12.30 pm and from 2 pm to 4.30 pm) or contact: 265 669 245 / freguesia.torrão@mail.telepac.pt
