The church of Massarelos is located in Largo do Adro, which connects with Rua da Restauração. Its construction began in 1776. However, it only became the parish church of the parish of Massarelos when the church of Santa Maria da Boa Viagem, which was the parish seat until its canonical extinction, fell into ruin. This church belongs to the brotherhood of the Almas do Corpo Santo de Massarelos, founded, according to tradition, in 1394 by sailors who had suffered a storm while returning from England, and to which Prince Henry the Navigator is said to have belonged. This brotherhood was very important in Porto, performing banking, commercial and other functions, and had ships that defended the coast when Algerian pirates appeared. In 1741, the Confraternity's squadron consisted of five ships: "São João da Foz", "Santo António de Lisboa", "São Pedro e São Félix", "Nossa Senhora da Conceição" and "Almas". It also had, by royal concession, the privilege of being the depository and supplier of ship's knowledge models.
The current church is divided into three parts by pilasters. In the central part, we find a gate with a split pediment, with a niche at the top, which holds the image of the patron saint, S. Pedro Gonçalves Telmo, flanked by two columns topped with Corinthian capitals. Above, there are two side windows and a large circular window. The entablature is simple, with carved work surrounding the large window, which ends in a shell shape, an element that also finishes the windows. On the sides, the bell towers are topped with ornaments on each side and topped with an iron cross. Between the bell towers and the entablature there is a clock. The façade is decorated with tiles. “This church has a single nave. The main chapel and its altar predate the other altars. On the side altars, on the left, Our Lady of Fátima and, on the right, St. Joseph. In the main body of the church, on the left, Our Lady of Sorrows and, on the right, St. Cosmas; on the other two, from a more recent period, on the left, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and, on the right, St. Anthony.” In the Brotherhood’s treasury there are also several pieces of silverware, among which a 16th-century monstrance stands out for its artistic merit. “Of interest to the iconography of St. Peter Gonçalves Telmo is the large oil painting that was placed in the church, next to the main door, on the left side, and is now kept in the meeting room. Above, it represents the Holy Trinity: the son embraces a cross, next to which the figure of Hope holds an anchor, to whose handle St. Peter Gonçalves Telmo holds the hand; below, on the left, is a sign painted that reads: “-TRIUMPH OF GRACE OVER NATURE-“.
Some images and the chest in the sacristy are also worth mentioning.
In 1943, the brotherhood still held the feast of St. Peter Gonçalves Telmo on the second Sunday of May and distributed the bread of fastio – blessed bread, once much sought after by ship crews as a remedy against seasickness and by pregnant women. The bread of fastio was linked to a miracle attributed to St. Peter Gonçalves, when preached the dogma of the Holy Trinity. The temple that exists today is the third and belongs, like the previous ones, to the Confraternity of the Souls of the Holy Body of Massarelos. From the previous temple, built after 1640, smaller in size than the current one, the original chapel remains, built on the rock on which the main chapel probably rests. Years later it underwent restoration, and the interior of the main chapel was decorated with frescoes by the Italian painter Silvestro Silvestri, in the Byzantine style.
Translated by Google •
In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!