Monuments

Set in a rugged but breathtaking landscape a short distance from Quinta do Convento, halfway up the side of a steep ravine overlooking the River Távora, is the small church of São Pedro Velho.

This fabulous setting carries us back to what would have clearly been the site of a hermitage more than a thousand years ago. Running along the façade of this Romanesque church, which was restored in the mid-20th century, are a series of modillions decorated with human figures and animals.

The western and northern doorways, decorated with archivolts supported by wild animals guarding the entrance, are quite remarkable. On the side tympanum, an Agnus Dei bears an inscription on the archivolt that asks "The Lord of the Armies [to] protect the entrance and exit of this church." The most notable feature of the church's dimly lit interior is its triumphal arch.