It is located in Largo de Santa Maria, parish of Santa Maria and São Miguel, in the municipality of Sintra, District of Lisbon, Central Portugal
The Church was originally built in the second half of the 12th century in the context of the conquest of Sintra by Afonso I of Portugal and the creation by the monarch of four parishes in the town.
The first small church served the parish of Santa Maria, which was the main suburb of the town, and in 1254 the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria was established by prior Lourenço Anes.
At the end of the 13th century or the 14th century, the church was completely rebuilt in Gothic style, giving its current general appearance from that time, the main chapel was renovated by Luís Pires, chaplain of Afonso V (1440).
The most important reform was carried out from 1506 onwards by D. João Lopo, bishop of Tangier, who was vicar of Santa Maria.
The church suffered extensive damage in the 1755 earthquake, which led to the renovation of the building between 1757 and 1760 by prior Sebastião Nunes Borges, who modified the facades and rebuilt the building. interior.
The general structure of the church follows the parochial result of the adaptation of Mendicant Gothic to the architecture of parish churches in the Middle Ages.
The body of the church has three stepped naves (the central nave is higher than the side ones), separated by arcades with broken arches with a two-bay chancel with a polygonal top, cross vault and Gothic windows.
The main façade has a broken arched portal with several archivolts inserted in a gable form over the portal. There must have been a rose window later replaced by a baroque window, the side portals of the church and the external structure of the main chapel with buttresses and a decorated corbel.
The bell tower on the south side of the facade has a bronze bell cast in 1468 as stated in an inscription in Carolinian-Gothic script on the bell itself.
In the Manueline era, the main portal and the south side were modified with elegant canopy arches, the main one having two bays separated by a thin mullion raised by a high choir at the entrance to the church. The interior gained altars decorated with Hispano-Arabic polychrome tiles, some of which remain inside.
The 1755 earthquake caused serious damage to the building, which had to be restored between 1757 and 1760.
In this renovation, the main façade was altered, gaining a finish with volutes and a baroque window replacing the previous rose window, and large windows were introduced on the side walls of the naves.
The interior was enriched with many altars that have since disappeared in a renovation carried out in 1930 that sought to make the building similar to the original.
The first small church served the parish of Santa Maria, which was the main suburb of the town, and in 1254 the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria was established by prior Lourenço Anes.
At the end of the 13th century or the 14th century, the church was completely rebuilt in Gothic style, giving its current general appearance from that time, the main chapel was renovated by Luís Pires, chaplain of Afonso V (1440).
The most important reform was carried out from 1506 onwards by D. João Lopo, bishop of Tangier, who was vicar of Santa Maria.
The church suffered extensive damage in the 1755 earthquake, which led to the renovation of the building between 1757 and 1760 by prior Sebastião Nunes Borges, who modified the facades and rebuilt the building. interior.
The general structure of the church follows the parochial result of the adaptation of Mendicant Gothic to the architecture of parish churches in the Middle Ages.
The body of the church has three stepped naves (the central nave is higher than the side ones), separated by arcades with broken arches with a two-bay chancel with a polygonal top, cross vault and Gothic windows.
The main façade has a broken arched portal with several archivolts inserted in a gable form over the portal. There must have been a rose window later replaced by a baroque window, the side portals of the church and the external structure of the main chapel with buttresses and a decorated corbel.
The bell tower on the south side of the facade has a bronze bell cast in 1468 as stated in an inscription in Carolinian-Gothic script on the bell itself.
In the Manueline era, the main portal and the south side were modified with elegant canopy arches, the main one having two bays separated by a thin mullion raised by a high choir at the entrance to the church. The interior gained altars decorated with Hispano-Arabic polychrome tiles, some of which remain inside.
The 1755 earthquake caused serious damage to the building, which had to be restored between 1757 and 1760.
In this renovation, the main façade was altered, gaining a finish with volutes and a baroque window replacing the previous rose window, and large windows were introduced on the side walls of the naves.
The interior was enriched with many altars that have since disappeared in a renovation carried out in 1930 that sought to make the building similar to the original.
The Classification of the Church of Santa Maria
Currently, the Church of Santa Maria (Sintra) is the main Gothic-style building in the village and has been classified as a National Monument since 1922.
The Church is part of the Sintra Cultural Landscape classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Church is part of the Sintra Cultural Landscape classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
