Church of São Francisco in Porto: Baroque Gold and the Catacombs

The Church of São Francisco (Igreja de São Francisco), at the foot of the Palácio da Bolsa, is a medieval Gothic building whose interior was entirely covered in gilded wood in the 18th century: altarpieces, columns, ceilings, every surface is carved with putti, fruit and foliage. It is one of the high points of Portuguese baroque, and one of the most visited interiors in Porto. The visit includes the church, the order's museum (the Casa do Despacho, with its treasury) and the catacombs, where an ossuary can be seen through a glass slab. Allow an hour. The church belongs to the Venerable Third Order of Saint Francis, which looks after it.

Highlights

The golden nave

From the threshold, the eye is caught by the profusion of baroque altarpieces between the grey stone Gothic arches. Most of the decoration dates from the first half of the 18th century. The Tree of Jesse altarpiece, made in 1718-1719, shows the genealogy of the Virgin as a golden tree.

The carved and painted details

Around the Virgin and Child, the side chapels pile up putti, fruit garlands and gilded statues. It is by going close to the altarpieces that you appreciate the work of the wood carvers.

The catacombs and the Casa do Despacho

Under the church floor, burial drawers hold the remains of the order's brothers and of Porto families, and a glass grille shows bones beneath visitors' feet. The Casa do Despacho, with the Treasury Room and the Meeting Room, completes the route.

Opening hours and prices

Every day: 9:00 to 20:00 from 1 April to 30 September, 9:00 to 19:00 from 1 October to 31 March. Closed on 25 December. The price is not published on the order's website: check at the ticket desk or on the official site before your visit.

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