Church and Convent of Madre de Deus - Discover Baroque Art

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Name of Monument:

Church and Convent of Madre de Deus

Location:

Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

Date:

1509–1589

Artists:

Architect: Diogo de Torralva (1551–n.d.); painters: Marcos da Cruz [n.d.], Bento Coelho da Silveira (1648–1708), André Gonçalves (1685–1762); tile painters: Jan van Oort [n.d.], Willem van der Kloet [n.d.], Gabriel del Barco (1649–c.1703); woodcarver: Félix Adauto da Cunha (1649–c.1703); terracotta figures in crib: António Ferreira [n.d.]

Denomination / Type of monument:

Religious architecture

Patron(s):

Widow of King João II, Queen D. Leonor, King João III, King Pedro II, King João V, and King José I

History:

Founded in 1509 by Queen Leonor for the Order of St Claire, the Convent of Madre de Deus belonged to the queen's household. In a second phase during the reign of King João III the architect, Diogo de Torralva, designed a new (the present) larger church, while the old church became the chapter house. These alterations continued up until the end of the 16th century.
During the 17th century several painters decorated the nave and main chapel. These included André Gonçalves whose painting on canvas is seen over the Triumphal Arch, and who retouched several of the ceiling panels, in addition to contributing three new works. From 1698 to 1707 Dutch tile painters, along with the Spanish master Gabriel del Barco, made the azulejos seen in the nave and main chapel. Damaged by the earthquake of 1755, the main altar was redesigned by Felix Adauto da Cunha by order of King José I.

Description:

A single nave church with plain walls and a barrel vault, a triumphal arch leads to the main chapel which is of the same width. Opposite the main chapel is the high-choir reserved for Franciscan nuns. The sacristy lies behind the main chapel.
Below the high choir is the low-choir – the former chapter house of the convent – part of the original church commissioned by Queen Leonor.
The Church is decorated with oil paintings, azulejos, carved gilt wood altarpieces and sculptures. The tiles and paintings depict scenes from the Life of St. Francis, the Life of St. Claire and daily life in closure and devotion.

View Short Description

Built between 1509 and 1517, the Church and Convent of Madre de Deus were both expanded gradually, mainly during the Baroque era. Contained within this monumental structure are azulejos (tile panels) depicting scenes from the Life of St. Francis, oil paintings with religious subjects framed with gilded and carved wood, gilt carved wood altarpieces with sculptures and a pulpit.

How Monument was dated:

Historical evidence and stylistic analysis

Special features

Paintings and azulejos of the nave and main chapel

Nave and main chapel, Church and Convent of Madre de Deus

Ceiling paintings: c.1675–1690; triumphal arch paintings: c.1740–50; azulejos: 1698–1707; pulpit: 1747–1759; main altar: after 1755

Painters: Marcos da Cruz [n.d.], Bento Coelho da Silveira (1648–1708), André Gonçalves (1685–1762); tile painters: Jan van Oort [n.d.], Willem van der Kloet [n.d.], Gabriel del Barco (1649–c.1703); woodcarver: Félix Adauto da Cunha (1649–c.1703)

The 20 ceiling paintings depicting the Life of the Virgin are by the Marcos da Cruz workshop. The walls are adorned with paintings by Bento Coelho da Silveira. They depict the Life of St. Claire (upper register) and the Life of St. Francis (lower register). Paintings by André Gonçalves decorate the triumphal arch. These feature the Coronation of the Virgin by the Holy Trinity. Paintings of St. Claire and St. Francis flank the archway. The nave azulejos are by the Dutch artist, Willem van der Kloet; they were commissioned in Holland. Close to the rocaille pulpit are azulejos featuring Franciscan monks praying. The azulejos in the main chapel are by Jan van Oort.
These depict the vision of Pope Nicholas V when standing by the body of St. Francis.

The lateral altars of the Chapterhouse

Connected to the nave of the church

Completion of the lateral altars 1750–1755

These were perhaps, originally, part of the main chapel and sacristy until the reign of King João III (1521–1557). The two lateral altars were installed during the reigns of King João V (r.1706–1750) and King José I (r.1750–1777). One is dedicated to the Death of Christ the other to Our Lady of Good Death.

The Chapel of Santo António or Ante-Choir

Close to the choir

Mid-18th century

André Gonçalves (1685–1762); terracotta figures in crib: António Ferreira [n.d.] and Dionísio Ferreira [n.d.]

The beautiful floors of the Chapel of Santo António are of inlaid Brazilian wood. Azulejo panels – representing scenes from the lives of the hermit saints Anthony and Paul – adorn the walls on the lower register, while on the upper register are paintings depicting the Miracles of St Anthony of Lisbon. Behind a monumental door is the Madre de Deus crib, comprising a set of 42 sculpted polychrome terracotta figures.

The Choir or Sala do Tesouro

Opposite the main chapel

Completed 1746–1759

Marcos da Cruz [n.d.], Bento Coelho da Silveira (1648–1708), André Gonçalves (1685–1762)

Probably used by the nuns as a meeting place, the floor is of inlaid Brazilian wood. The chapel contains several reliquaries within gilded wooden frames above the choir stalls. Above one of the doors there is a tabernacle with the coat of arms of King José I. The Window bays are adorned with azulejos, while the ceiling and walls are decorated with paintings of the Life of Christ and the Life of the Virgin Mary of the 17th and 18th centuries.

General view of the Sacristy

Sacristy behind the main chapel

c.1746

Woodcarver: Félix Adauto da Cunha (1649–c.1703); painter André Gonçalves (1685–1762)

The redesigned sacristy with marble floor and a marble table. The coat of arms of the Franciscans and of the Royal family are fashioned in Azulejos, above which are a series of paintings with religious themes. A Brazilian ebony chest of drawers with a Rococo gilded carved back furnishes one end.

Selected bibliography:

Borges, N. C., “A Escultura e a talha”, História da Arte em Portugal, vol. 9, Lisbon, 1987, pp. 41– 63.
Caeiro, B. M., Os Conventos de Lisboa, Porto, 1989.
Santana, F., Sucena, E., Dicionário da História de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1994.
AA.VV, Igreja da Madre de Deus: história, conservação e restauro, Lisbon, 2002.
Henriques, Paulo, (…) Museu Nacional do Azulejo, Instituto Português de Museus Lisbon, 2006

Additional Copyright Information:

Citation of this web page:

Cristina Correia "Church and Convent of Madre de Deus" in "Discover Baroque Art", Museum With No Frontiers, 2025.
https://baroqueart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;BAR;pt;Mon11;2;en

Prepared 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.
Translation by: Fernando A. Baptista Pereira, 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.
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 02

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