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| Gothic - 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| The church of the Convent of Saint Clare (Convento de Santa Clara) in Santarem, built for the feminine Order of the Poor Clares, is one of the best representatives of the Gothic style of the mendicant religious orders. Its construction began around 1259, during the reign of King Afonso III, when Santarem was the second largest city in Portugal. The works were sponsored to a great extent by the royal family, including King Dinis I and Queen Isabel, and the convent was finished in the first half of the 14th century. The church is all that is left of the convent: its very long nave has three aisles of different height, and the central aisle has two rose-windows on each end. The East end of the church has five chapels, each one of a different size; the main chapel is decorated with Gothic rib vaulting and windows of simple Gothic tracery. The whole church lacks much decoration, a typical feature of the mendicant orders during this period. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Right - East end of the church of the Santa Clara Convent of Santarem. The South arm of the transept and three of the five Eastern chapels are seen. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Left - Main chapel of the church of the Santa Clara Convent. The chapel is covered by simple Gothic rib vaulting and is abundantly illuminated by several windows, contrasting with the dark chapels of the Romanesque era. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Right - Tomb of Princess Leonor Afonso, daughter of King Afonso III. The side of the tomb is decorated with reliefs of monks discussing theological matters under early Gothic arches. Princess Leonor Afonso was a nun in the Convent in the second half of the 13th century and donated her wealth to the Order. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Page 3 Index |
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