Photograph: João Paulo,  © Turismo de PortugalPhotograph: Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal,  © Turismo do Porto e Norte de PortugalPhotograph: José Manuel Dias,  © Casa da Misericórdia Viana do CasteloPhotograph: Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal,  © Turismo do Porto e Norte de PortugalPhotograph: Rui Carvalho Design,  © Turismo do Porto e Norte de PortugalPhotograph: Joel Arezes/ Hugo Lopes,  © Casa da Misericórdia Viana do Castelo


Name of Monument:

Church and Hospital of Misericórdia of Viana do Castelo

Location:

Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal

Contact DetailsChurch and Hospital of Misericórdia of Viana do Castelo
Praça da República
4900-5321 Viana do Castelo
T : +351 258 822 350
F : +351 258 820 290
E : scmvc@sapo.pt
Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Viana do Castelo (Responsible Institution)

Date:

1719–1721 (interior)

Artists:

Master builder: Manuel Pinto de Vila Lobos (d.1734); woodcarver: Ambrósio Coelho; tile painters: António de Oliveira Bernardes, Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes; Grotesco ceiling paintings: Manuel Gomes de Andrade; organ maker: Frei Manuel Lourenço da Conceição; organ cases: Manuel Pinto de Vila Lobos [dates unknown]

Denomination / Type of monument:

Religious, church, hospital and administrative buildings

Patron(s):

Brotherhood of Misericórdia de Viana do Castelo

History:

The Confraria da Misericórdia of Viana do Castelo was established in 1523 by formal request of its Council and deferred by the King. Its headquarters and chapel were built in the square close to the town walls, nowadays called Praça da República. Almost in ruins in 1557, the building was rebuilt according to the drawings of João Jácome Luna and clearly inspired by Italian loggias. In 1714, the chapel being once more in a poor condition, a new renovation plan of the interior was commissioned by the Brotherhood to Manuel Pinto de Vila Lobos, a military engineer. Starting in 1716, reconstruction work finished eight years later. By a decree, dated 16 June 1910, the Church together with the hospital, were classified National Monuments.

Description:

The Misericórdia of Viana do Castelo, hospital and church, is unique and unparalleled in Portugal. The main building served both as an administrative headquarters and a hospital, with the attached Church managed autonomously.
A sober façade contrasting with an embellished interior equals a fine example of the notion of the Baroque Gesamtkunstwerk, “total work of art” in spite of its precise floor plan and single nave. Azulejos cover the nave walls, depicting biblical scenes representing the 14 Acts of Mercy. In the central arch, a large panel depicts Our Lady of Mercy. The chancel is also ornamented with azulejos representing scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The Grotesco paintings on the ceiling by Manuel Gomes depict the Holy Trinity, Assumption of Our Lady and Escape into Egypt.
Ambrósio Coelho carved the gilded wooden retable and the side altars, which are crowned by a gilded pelmet. An Iberian organ is placed in the High Choir.

View Short Description

The Church of the Misericórdia of Viana do Castelo has a sober façade that contrasts with its embellished interior. It is a fine example of the Baroque Gesamtkunstwerk, “total work of art”: the chancel and the nave walls are covered with azulejos (painted tile panels) signed by Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes, creating a masterly mix with the Grotesco paintings of the ceiling and the gilded wooden altarpieces.

How Monument was dated:

Historical documents from the District Archive of Misericódia of Viana do Castelo

Special features

Main Altar

Chancel

1719–1721

Ambrósio Coelho [n.d.]

The gilded wooden altarpiece in the National style of the Portuguese Baroque.

Grotesco ceiling painting

Church, vault

1721

Manuel Gomes de Andrade [n.d.]

Grotesco ceiling painting with cartouches over the High Choir depicting the Holy Trinity, Assumption of Our Lady and Escape into Egypt.

Church Vault with scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary and Jesus

Chancel

1719–1721

Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes [n.d.]

Azulejos decorate the chancel with scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, signed by Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes.

Azulejos depicting the 14 Acts of Mercy

Church, nave

1719–1721

Attributed to António and Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes [n.d.]

Azulejos representing the 14 Acts of Mercy cover the walls of the nave. On the Gospel side are the Spiritual Works and on the Epistle side the Corporal. In the central arch, a large azulejos panel depicts Our Lady of Mercy, who with her open veil, appears as if protecting the visitors.

Organ in the High Choir

High Choir

1721

Organ: Frei Manuel Lourenço da Conceição [n.d.]
Organ cases: Manuel Pinto de Vila Lobos [n.d.]

In the High Choir there is an Iberian organ with two symmetrical parts: the organ itself on the Epistle side and the organ pipes on the Gospel side. Friar Manuel Lourenço da Conceição from Oporto might have recycled some parts from a pre-existing organ, and Manuel Pinto de Vila Lobos designed the case.

Selected bibliography:

Azevedo, C. de, Baroque Organ Cases of Portugal, Amsterdam, 1972.
Araújo, J. R. de, A Igreja da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Viana do Castelo, 2nd edition, Viana, 1983.
Ferreira-Alves, N. M., A escola de talha portuense e a sua influência no Norte de Portugal – Artistas e clientela, materiais e técnicas, Lisbon, 1989.
Meco, J., O Azulejo em Portugal, Lisbon, 1989.
Botelho, J. A., "A representação das Obras da Misericórdia nos Azulejos da Igreja da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Viana do Castelo" in Pereira, M.O.A., et al. (co-ord.), 1st Encontro das Misericórdias do Alto Minho, Viana do Castelo, 2001.
Serrão, V., O Barroco, Lisbon, 2003.

Additional Copyright Information:

Copyright images "Casa da Misericordia Viana do Castelo": Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Viana do Castelo.

Citation of this web page:

João Alpuim Botelho "Church and Hospital of Misericórdia of Viana do Castelo" in "Discover Baroque Art", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://baroqueart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;BAR;pt;Mon11;3;en

Prepared by: João Alpuim BotelhoJoão Alpuim Botelho

SURNAME: Alpuim Botelho
NAME: João

AFFILIATION: Câmara Municipal de Viana do Castelo

TITLE: Head of the Department of Municipal Museums and Coordinator of the Costume Museum and Museum of Art and Archaeology

CV:
João Botelho is a History graduate with a MA in Museology. He is the Head of the Municipal Museums Department of the Viana do Castelo Town Hall and responsible for the Costume Museum (Museu do Traje) and the Museum of Art and Archaeology. He is also a Board member for the Viana do Castelo House of the Holy Mercy, where is responsible for Artistic Heritage.

Translation by: Cristina CorreiaCristina Correia

SURNAME: Correia
NAME: Cristina

AFFILIATION: Eça de Queirós Public High School, Lisbon and MWNF

TITLE: Senior Teacher, Local Co-ordinator and Vice-President of MWNF

CV:
Cristina Correia is a History graduate and, since 1985, a Senior Teacher of History at the Eça de Queirós Public High School, Lisbon where she also lectures in Portuguese Language and Culture for non-native speakers. From 1987 to 1998 she was involved with youth affairs, primary prevention and the Camões Institute. She is Vice-President and Local Co-ordinator (Portugal) for MWNF.
, Manuel Silva Pereira
Translation copyedited by: Mandi GomezMandi Gomez

Amanda Gomez is a freelance copy-editor and proofreader working in London. She studied Art History and Literature at Essex University (1986–89) and received her MA (Area Studies Africa: Art, Literature, African Thought) from SOAS in 1990. She worked as an editorial assistant for the independent publisher Bellew Publishing (1991–94) and studied at Bookhouse and the London College of Printing on day release. She was publications officer at the Museum of London until 2000 and then took a role at Art Books International, where she worked on projects for independent publishers and arts institutions that included MWNF’s English-language editions of the books series Islamic Art in the Mediterranean. She was part of the editorial team for further MWNF iterations: Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean Virtual Museum and the illustrated volume Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean.

True to its ethos of connecting people through the arts, MWNF has provided Amanda with valuable opportunities for discovery and learning, increased her editorial experience, and connected her with publishers and institutions all over the world. More recently, the projects she has worked on include MWNF’s Sharing History Virtual Museum and Exhibition series, Vitra Design Museum’s Victor Papanek and Objects of Desire, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s online publication 2 or 3 Tigers and its volume Race, Nation, Class.

MWNF Working Number: PT 03

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