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| Romanesque - 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Right - Main portal of the church of Ferreira. The arches of the portal have a decoration made of lobes containing circular holes, producing interesting light and shadow effects under natural light. This pattern is clearly related to the "Bishop's portal" of the Cathedral of Zamora, in Castile, suggesting the artists that designed the portal of Ferreira used that building as reference. The decoration of friezes and capitals reveal influences of the Cathedral of Braga and the Monasteries of Pombeiro and Unhao. The original pediment has been lost. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Left - View of the interior of the church of Ferreira. The nave of the church is very high and the arches are slightly pointed, indications of the transition between the Romanesque and Gothic styles. The main chapel has two series of elegant arches and is roofed by barrel vaulting. The overall impression of the interior is one of elegance and beauty. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| A unique secular monument in Portugal is the so called Domus Municipalis of Braganza, located inside the city walls and beside Bragan�a Castle. The pentagonal building has a big hall inside and an arched gallery around its perimeter. The name Domus Municipalis refers to its use as meeting place for the City Council between 1503 and the 19th century, but it is not known whether it had the same function in the Middle Ages. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Up - The general appearance of the Domus Municipalis suggests a late Romanesque origin, given the robust, round-arched arcade and the decoration of the corbels in the upper part of the walls. Nonetheless, other characteristics strongly suggest that the Domus was constructed later, probably in the 14th century, in which case it is a striking example of a Romanesque-looking building from the Gothic era. The long survival of Romanesque decorative motifs is often observed in remote areas of the Portuguese countryside. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Right - This drawing of a section through the Domus shows the presence of a chamber to store water below the building (cistern). Cisterns were very important when the city was being attacked, since its inhabitants might be cut off from water sources outside the city walls. The presence of the cistern indicates that the main reason for the construction of the Domus might have been military, assuming later a civil function as a meeting place for the City Council. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Page 1 Index |
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