Monuments

In 1707, the Bishop of Braga, D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles, ordered the laying of the foundation stone of a convent of Benedictine nuns, in compliance with a request made by D. João V in fulfilment of a wish expressed by his father D. Pedro II. An inscription on the wall beside the doorway testifies to this event.

Outside, the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Terço has a very sober and simple appearance, but the interior shows us one of the best examples of Portuguese baroque decoration, with a harmonious combination of painting, tiles and carved and gilded woodwork.

The wooden caisson ceiling and azulejo panels that totally cover the inside of the church, painted in 1713 by the Master António de Oliveira Bernardes, show an extremely rich iconography about the life of St. Benedict. In the chancel, P.M.P., another baroque master tilemaker, put his signature to two panels that relate the monument´s foundation and the occasion when the first nun entered the convent.

Attention is also drawn to the decoration of the canopied pulpit attributed to Gabriel Rodrigues Álvares and the carved and gilded woodwork of the altars attributed to Ambrósio Coelho, which complete the decorative programme of this impressive church.