Convent Of St. António De Ferreirim

Built at the end of the Middle Ages on the initiative of the last Counts of Marialva, whose tomb is still preserved inside the church, the Monastery of Santo António de Ferreirim owes its current appearance to a comprehensive renovation carried out during the first half of the 16th century. In 1525 the house was handed over to the Order of St. Francis, and the first monks entered two years later. In 1532, construction began on the church, a work based on a mixture of Manueline-Renaissance style and Plateresque elements. In the 18th century, new remodeling works substantially transformed the 16th century work, as shown by the construction of the 18th century galilee, a symbol of decorative austerity and which today protects the original portal. The church has a single nave and part of the altarpiece ensemble from the beginning of the 16th century has been preserved. This work was commissioned by Cardinal-Infante D. Afonso, son of King Manuel, and was executed in partnership by three of the most important painters active in Portugal at the time - Cristóvão de Figueiredo, Gregório Lopes and Garcia Fernandes, known as the "Mestres de Ferreirim". The contract for the three altarpieces in the monastery's church is part of the small collection of documents that has been preserved to this day. It provides fundamental information for understanding both the ways in which the work was organized - in this particular case, translated into a relationship of partnership between the Lisbon masters - and the patronage of the High Clergy, whose concerns transcended the material level of the pictorial work and also focused on the iconographic programmes. As part of the convent, there is still a medieval military tower, a symbol of the early settlement of the town after Portugal was established as an independent kingdom, later renovated by a Gothic campaign and now completely restored.