Silves Cathedral

Coordinates: 37°11′24″N 8°26′19″W / 37.1901°N 8.4387°W / 37.1901; -8.4387
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Gothic apse of Silves Cathedral.

The Silves Cathedral (

national monument on June 29, 1922.[2]

History

Gothic main portal of Silves Cathedral.

The details about the foundation and building of Silves Cathedral are unclear. In the process of the Reconquista, Moorish Silves was conquered in 1189 by King Sancho I of Portugal, but since the city was retaken by the Moors in 1191, it is unlikely that a cathedral was built at this time. Only in 1242 was Silves definitely reconquered by Christian knights during the reign of King Afonso III, and it is believed that this king was responsible for beginning the construction of Silves Cathedral as the seat of a newly founded Algarve diocese.

The works proceeded with difficulty, and in 1352 the cathedral was damaged by a strong earthquake. In the 1440s, the cathedral workshop was given a great impulse by King Afonso V. This building campaign produced the apse with its three chapels, the transept and the main portal, in Gothic style, dating from the 1470s. The three-aisled nave was only finished in the early 16th century.

When

Jews, Egas Moniz Teles, nobleman under king Manuel I, whose family were amongst the first inhabitants of the Madeira island, judge João do Rego and his son in law Gastão da Ilha, Squire to Infante John.[3]

Economic difficulties and a diminishing population plagued the history of Silves in the 15th and 16th centuries, leading to the bishop staying for long periods away from Silves. The most notable of the bishops at this time was

Mannerist and Baroque altarpieces
, some of which still exist.

The Great earthquake of 1755 struck a terrible blow to Silves and its cathedral and destroyed part of the nave. The building was repaired and modified, replacing the simple Gothic forms of the upper part of the main façade with Rococo volutes. The bell tower and the south portal are also 18th-century additions.

In the 20th century, an extensive renovation of Silves Cathedral suppressed many of the Baroque additions and returned the building to a more "medieval" look.

Art and architecture

View towards the main chapel.

From the outside, a striking aspect of Silves Cathedral is the contrast between the whitewashed surfaces of the walls and the red sandstone (grés de Silves) of the apse, windows and main portal.

The main portal, executed in the 1470s, is inserted on a stepped rectangular moulding (

corbels of the upper cornice of the moulding, representing animal and human faces. The portal consists of a series of four columns and several pointed-arch archivolts
. The outer archivolt is decorated with a series of reliefs of vegetal motifs and human figures, some playing musical instruments. The decoration of the capitals of the columns reveals the influence of the Batalha workshop, which was active in the 15th century. The portal of the main church of Portimão, located nearby, is almost a replica of the one in Silves and is believed to have been executed by the same artisans.[4] The South portal is a Baroque addition (18th century).

Silves Cathedral is a

Cathedral of Guarda. The aisles of the nave are separated by arches of pointed profile supported by columns of octagonal cross section. The south transept arm is illuminated by a large mullioned window with Gothic tracery
.

Gallery

  • Partial view of the cathedral from the outside
    Partial view of the cathedral from the outside
  • The choir's ceiling
    The choir's ceiling
  • The carved stone Sarcophagi Tomb of Crusader João Gramacho and his wife Ana Taborda
    The carved stone Sarcophagi Tomb of Crusader João Gramacho and his wife Ana Taborda
  • The stones of Vincent Raposa Viegas on the left, King John II in the middle, and bishop Fernando Coutinho, on the right
    The stones of Vincent Raposa Viegas on the left, King John II in the middle, and bishop Fernando Coutinho, on the right
  • Tomb of nobleman Egas Moniz Teles
    Tomb of nobleman Egas Moniz Teles
  • Details of the pillars and arches
    Details of the pillars and arches
  • Chapel of our lord of stations
    Chapel of our lord of stations
  • Main portal
    Main portal
  • Lateral portal
    Lateral portal
  • Lateral view of the Gothic apse
    Lateral view of the Gothic apse

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba | cathedral, Córdoba, Spain | Britannica".
  2. ^ "IGESPAR IP | HERITAGE". www.igespar.pt. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03.
  3. ^ "Catedral de Silves / Sé de Silves". Direção-Geral do Património Cultural. Portuguese Government. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  4. ^ Description of the Main Church of Portimão at the IPPAR website.

References

37°11′24″N 8°26′19″W / 37.1901°N 8.4387°W / 37.1901; -8.4387 Media related to Sé Catedral de Silves at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Silves_Cathedral&oldid=1115207338"