Igreja e Mosteiro de São Francisco — Attraction in Évora

Visited in August 2024 Truly a beautiful Church that is worth taking your time to absorb all the beauty within. Agora is a rather unique inland Portuguese city with tremendous history to see. Worth a day or two to see all in this city.

This huge church was built in Gothic style between 1475 and the 1550s to the design of Martim Lourenço, replacing an earlier Romanesque church of 1226. This church is one of a kind through its narthex with arcades in front of the church. The arcade is formed by seven arches with different forms, a typical blend of Gothic and Moorish elements. The battlemented façade has conical or spiral-shaped spires. The Manueline entrance to the church carries above a pelican, emblem of king João II and an armillary, emblem of king Manuel I.

This is the largest nave of this kind to be found in Portuguese churches. The spacious vault of the crossing rests on ogival arches. The father of Portuguese drama Gil Vicente is buried at the left side of the entrance.

The chancel (early 16th century) with the main altar displays Renaissance features. But the choir stalls were made in different art styles : the right one in Renaissance, the left in Baroque style. The altars in the transept are decorated with gilded sculpture work framing 16th century panels, probably painted by Flemish artists. The sides of the nave contain twelve open chapels, built between the buttresses...

The Igreja e Mosteiro de São Francisco in Évora is a truly unique complex, primarily known for its architectural grandeur and the famous Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones). The church itself is a magnificent example of Gothic-Manueline architecture, boasting an unusually wide, single nave, the largest of its kind in Portuguese churches, creating an expansive and majestic interior. Its facade features striking Manueline influences, reflecting Portugal's Age of Discoveries with elements like ribbed vaulting and pillars decorated with spirals and knots. However, the most singular and renowned element is undoubtedly the Capela dos Ossos, a chilling yet profoundly contemplative space entirely lined with the skulls and bones of an estimated 5,000 individuals. This macabre display, a stark reminder of mortality, is adorned with powerful inscriptions such as "We bones that are here, for yours we wait." The chapel's unique purpose and construction from human remains make it an unparalleled and unforgettable experience, providing a visceral connection to the past and a meditation on...

This is a beautiful church, with lots to see. Perhaps most well known is the Chapel of Bones, but ironically, it was the place where my family and I spent the least amount of time. It's fascinating, but only a single room. So in some ways, it was a bit disappointing.

However, upstairs there is a huge collection of nativity scenes from all around the world. There are hundreds of them, and it was absolutely amazing to see the different styles and interpretations of nativity scenes from different cultures. I eventually got tired, but my daughter would have easily spent hours looking at them all. I had to shuffle her along.

There is also a very small museum with paintings and other artifacts to view.

This is a great place to spend an afternoon. I came wanting to see the Chapel of Bones, not knowing any of the other things that were here, but I enjoyed everything else immensely.

The church itself is free to visit, while entering the Chapel of Bones requires the purchase of a ticket, which also includes seeing the nativity scenes and the museum. It's very reasonably priced and...