Located on Rua Acácio Barradas, City of Setúbal, Central Portugal
The Monastery of Jesus is one of the first buildings in the Manueline style, the Portuguese version of late Gothic, the cloisters of the complex house a monastery museum (Museu de Jesus).
The monastery was founded around 1490, outside the walls of the city of Setúbal by Justa Rodrigues Pereira, a noblewoman of the Portuguese royal court.
From 1491, D. João II started to sponsor the construction of the monastery which he commissioned from Diogo de Boitaca (or Boytac), an architect of unknown origin, possibly French, after the death of D. João II in 1495, D. Manuel I continued to support the construction works.
Most of the church was built between 1490 and 1495, and in 1496 the nuns of the Order of the Poor Clares were already living in the monastery.
From 1495 onwards, with D. Manuel I, the church's nave was covered with a stone vault, replacing the originally planned wooden lining. In the 1510s, King D. Manuel I had the church's apse rebuilt, although this is disputed by some authorities.
The founder Justa Rodrigues Pereira and her family were buried in the church's crypt, located in the main chapel.
In the first half of the 16th century, Jorge de Lencastre, bastard son of D. João II and Master of the Order of Santiago, donated to the monastery a large area in front of the south facade, known as Terreiro de Jesus (Praça de Jesus) and commissioned an elegant cross in honor of the monastery's patron, Jesus Christ which was placed near the apse of the church, in the 19th century the cross was moved to the middle of the square.
The church and monastery were severely damaged by the great earthquake of 1755, and the earthquakes of 1531, 1858, 1909 and 1969 caused lesser damage.
The monastery was founded around 1490, outside the walls of the city of Setúbal by Justa Rodrigues Pereira, a noblewoman of the Portuguese royal court.
From 1491, D. João II started to sponsor the construction of the monastery which he commissioned from Diogo de Boitaca (or Boytac), an architect of unknown origin, possibly French, after the death of D. João II in 1495, D. Manuel I continued to support the construction works.
Most of the church was built between 1490 and 1495, and in 1496 the nuns of the Order of the Poor Clares were already living in the monastery.
From 1495 onwards, with D. Manuel I, the church's nave was covered with a stone vault, replacing the originally planned wooden lining. In the 1510s, King D. Manuel I had the church's apse rebuilt, although this is disputed by some authorities.
The founder Justa Rodrigues Pereira and her family were buried in the church's crypt, located in the main chapel.
In the first half of the 16th century, Jorge de Lencastre, bastard son of D. João II and Master of the Order of Santiago, donated to the monastery a large area in front of the south facade, known as Terreiro de Jesus (Praça de Jesus) and commissioned an elegant cross in honor of the monastery's patron, Jesus Christ which was placed near the apse of the church, in the 19th century the cross was moved to the middle of the square.
The church and monastery were severely damaged by the great earthquake of 1755, and the earthquakes of 1531, 1858, 1909 and 1969 caused lesser damage.
The Exterior of the Monastery of Jesus de Setúbal
The church of the Monastery of Jesus, built between 1490 and 1510, is a very significant monument of Portuguese architecture as it is the first known construction in which aspects of the Manueline style of decoration were used.
The south facade of the church, facing Praça de Jesus, is the main facade of the building.
Starting from the square, the church combines two distinct spaces: a rectangular nave and a polygonal apse taller than the nave located at the east end of the building, on the west side of the facade there is a bell tower.
The walls and roof vaults of the church are supported by a series of stepped buttresses along the outer walls of the nave and apse.
The buttresses are decorated with gargoyles and a twisted spire, while the upper walls of the church have decorative battlements.
The main portal is located in the middle of the south facade and was the last element of the facade to be built. It is unfinished and stands out in relation to the facade and has several archivolts with empty niches.
The tympanum is decorated with two letters "A" set into an "O" and a mullion divides the entrance into two smaller two-arched portals, the south side of the apse is decorated by a beautiful large mullioned window with late Gothic tracery.
The south facade of the church, facing Praça de Jesus, is the main facade of the building.
Starting from the square, the church combines two distinct spaces: a rectangular nave and a polygonal apse taller than the nave located at the east end of the building, on the west side of the facade there is a bell tower.
The walls and roof vaults of the church are supported by a series of stepped buttresses along the outer walls of the nave and apse.
The buttresses are decorated with gargoyles and a twisted spire, while the upper walls of the church have decorative battlements.
The main portal is located in the middle of the south facade and was the last element of the facade to be built. It is unfinished and stands out in relation to the facade and has several archivolts with empty niches.
The tympanum is decorated with two letters "A" set into an "O" and a mullion divides the entrance into two smaller two-arched portals, the south side of the apse is decorated by a beautiful large mullioned window with late Gothic tracery.
The Interior of the Monastery of Jesus de Setúbal
The church is narrow and consists of a nave and two side aisles of the same height, unifying the interior space as in a hall church, a feature that would be found in later Manueline spaces such as the nave of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos - Lisbon.
In the nave, each pillar supporting a pointed arch is composed of three interlocking sub-columns in rough granite, spiral columns would also be a typical theme of later Manueline buildings such as the Sé Cathedral of Guarda, the side aisles are supported by semi-barrel vaults.
In the nave, each pillar supporting a pointed arch is composed of three interlocking sub-columns in rough granite, spiral columns would also be a typical theme of later Manueline buildings such as the Sé Cathedral of Guarda, the side aisles are supported by semi-barrel vaults.
In the main chapel an intricate Manueline ribbed vault
The main chapel of the church is square in plan and covered by an exuberant late Gothic star vault with decorative projections, some of the ribs of the vault are in the form of a twisted rope, once again anticipating a common theme in Manueline vaults across the country, the main altar and pulpit date from the 18th century.
The inner walls of the apse are decorated with 17th-century blue-and-white tiles with geometric patterns, while the tiles on the side walls depict scenes from the church's life of Mary with colorful pictures.
The inner walls of the apse are decorated with 17th-century blue-and-white tiles with geometric patterns, while the tiles on the side walls depict scenes from the church's life of Mary with colorful pictures.
Jesus Museum
The adjacent monastery has been transformed into an art museum with a collection of Flemish and Portuguese primitive painters from the 15th and 16th centuries.
During the reign of D. Manuel I (around 1520), the church was decorated with a 14-panel altarpiece painted by one of the main Portuguese Renaissance artists, Jorge Afonso.
The altarpiece, one of the best in Portugal, was removed from the church's apse in the 18th century, but can still be seen in this Monastery Art Museum.
The rest of the collection consists of archaeological finds, historical coins, documents, old books, another part of the museum is dedicated to Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage, a famous 18th century poet born in Setúbal.
During the reign of D. Manuel I (around 1520), the church was decorated with a 14-panel altarpiece painted by one of the main Portuguese Renaissance artists, Jorge Afonso.
The altarpiece, one of the best in Portugal, was removed from the church's apse in the 18th century, but can still be seen in this Monastery Art Museum.
The rest of the collection consists of archaeological finds, historical coins, documents, old books, another part of the museum is dedicated to Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage, a famous 18th century poet born in Setúbal.
