Santo António Church

Igreja de Santo António de Lisboa
View of the main façade of the church with the cathedral in the background.
Basic information
Location	Rua das Pedras Negras 1, 1100-401 Lisbon, Portugal .
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Region	Lisboa Region
District	Lisbon District
Municipality	Lisbon
Architectural description
Architectural style	Baroque Rococo
Groundbreaking	1730 (1730)
Completed	1767 (1767)
Specifications

The Santo António Church (Portuguese: Igreja de Santo António de Lisboa) is located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Lisbon (also known in the Christian world as Saint Anthony of Padua). According to tradition, the church was built on the site where the saint was born, in 1195. The church is classified as a National Monument.

History

Interior viewed toward the main altarpiece.

Fernando de Bulhões - Saint Anthony - was born in Lisbon in 1195, the son of a wealthy family. In 1220, while studying in Coimbra, he entered the Franciscan Order, adopting the name António. His missionary travels would lead him to Italy, where he settled in Padua. Due to his immense popularity, he was canonised less than a year after his death, in 1232.

The site of the family house where Fernando was born, located very close to Lisbon Cathedral, was turned into a small chapel in the 15th century. This early building, from which nothing remains, was rebuilt in the early 16th century, during the reign of King Manuel I. The Lisbon Senate was located on a house just beside the chapel. A religious brotherhood (Irmandade de Santo António) dedicated to the saint was founded in the 16th century.

In 1730, under King John V, the church was rebuilt and redecorated. In the 1755 Lisbon earthquake the Santo António Church was destroyed, with only the main chapel left standing. It was fully rebuilt after 1767 to a Baroque-Rococo design by architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira. This is the church that can be visited today.

Since 1755 a procession leaves the church every June 13, passes by Lisbon Cathedral and goes through the slopes of Alfama neighbourhood, located nearby. The 13th of June is Saint Anthony's "patron saint day" and occurs in the "Popular Saint Festivities" celebrated by Lisbon; during the morning special bread is given to the oldest women of each family.^[1]

On May 12, 1982, Pope John Paul II visited the church. He inaugurated a statue of Saint Anthony (by sculptor Soares Branco) in the square in front of the church and prayed in the crypt, which marks the spot where the saint was born.

References and external links

↑ http://www.lisbonweekendguild.com/lisbon-sights/Saint_anthony_traditions.html

Religious buildings in Lisbon

Catholic:	Igreja de Chelas Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha Carmo Convent Estrela Basilica Hermitage of Restelo Igreja da Madalena Igreja da Madre de Deus (São João) Igreja da Memória Igreja do Menino Deus Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Luz (Carnide) Igreja de Santa Luzia (Lisbon) Santo António Church Igreja de Santo Estêvão (Lisbon) Igreja de São Domingos (Santa Justa) Igreja de São Roque Lisbon Cathedral Jerónimos Monastery Church of Santa Engrácia Monastery of São Vicente de Fora

Protestant:	Igreja de Santo André Igreja de São Jorge

Jewish:	Sinagoga Shaaré Tikva

Islamic:	Mesquita Central de Lisboa

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Igreja de Santo António da Sé.

Coordinates: 38°42′36″N 9°08′01″W / 38.71000°N 9.13361°W / 38.71000; -9.13361

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, October 03, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.