The main chapel of the Church of Escarigo (Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo) (*)
December 31, 2010 by Castile
Categories: Municipalities , District-Guard , Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo , Churches , More , All articles
Welcome to the beautiful church of San Miguel (Escarigo), which has one of the finest examples of Portuguese ceilings joinery Hispano-Arab (alfarge), the author confesses that he knows only two of the highest quality in Portugal: the Cathedral of Funchal (* *) and the National Palace (****). The laçaria the ceiling in the chancel is graceful, unique and is very well preserved.
Throughout this streak Beira, there are several churches with these coverages. I come now to the memory, the churches of Leomil, Vilar Formoso, Castelo Mendo (with two: St. Vincent and St. Mary of the Castle) and Sortelha, that of Escarigo, is all the best-preserved and extensive.
The Mudejar art is characterized by the influence of aesthetic and technical Muslim Christian land. These covers are gorgeous, the detail, the intense chromaticism, luxury and geometric game. The ceilings of the churches mentioned were probably produced at the time of King Fortunate in the sixteenth century.
Covers joinery Hispano-Arabic (alfarge) in Beira Interior
Its concentration in this region is unique in Portugal, and land so harsh and poor at the time of the splendor of Portugal, were built true works of art. Deserve a careful study on its origins and the reason for their existence. Unfortunately many Mudejar roofs have been degraded, and even disappeared, I'm reminded of the churches and Almofala Castle Well and ceiling of the body of the Church of Vilar Formoso, destroyed the works of its rebuilding.
The chapel of the Church of Mor Escarigo
But the main chapel also offers a wonderful and gilded altarpiece built between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Let us see what says our Nobel Prize for Literature about it.
"The church has one of the most beautiful Baroque altarpiece that the traveler has seen so far. If all this had the vulgar and banal-gold uniform, does not deserve more than looking at who was not expert. But the polychromy of the hoist is so harmonious in its tones of red, blue and gold, with touches of green and pink, which may be an hour to examine it without fatigue. "1.
But as already said, what makes us come here, is this remarkable ceiling alfarge sixteenth of blues and reds.
This church was part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. In addition to the temple in the town we can find a niche where Manueline stand three scallops, one old Hostel, unfortunately ruined, it was a point of hostel for the pilgrims. Also Almofala symbol of pilgrimage, we find the beautiful Roquilho Cruise (National Monument) Manueline.
Of the various ways Portuguese pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, this is the most interesting, and which deserves to be studied, reclassified and disclosed. This had a good visit to Escarigo cicerone as guardian of the key "treasure," Mr. John Spine, ex. GNR in Coimbra, and retired, returned to his Terra Mater.
Obviously this reviewer did not see anything because he was invited to a picnic at the home of Sir John, who proved in different filled, a good goat cheese and this time a good red wine from Quinta do Cardo. The conversation drifted to the praises to our floors: Coimbra and Escarigo. We ended with hugs, with Sir John to say that I had already seen very little, as the son of who I am.
"And tell your dad, who remembers a fine pardoned and then I became his client, and ... friends."
Already night out the traveler conimbricence happy, happy coincidence, I noticed the lights in the distance of the Castle of San Felices of Galician (*), but the company chose to have the stars.
In this region the traveler can spend a great day. Good landscape, to remember the magnificent plains of Alentejo and a rim with little more than a dozen miles can find these five notable sites:
- Albufeira Santa Maria de Aguiar (or Almofala) (*)
Eagles Tower-(or Almofala) (*)
-Monastery of Santa Maria de Aguiar (*)
- Historical Village of Castelo Rodrigo (**)
Saint-Andre from Arribas (Almofala) (*)
1-Travel to Portugal in 1981 by José Saramago
