Monuments

The Igreja de São Bartolomeu is a church situated in the parish of the same name. The building dates from the second half of the 16th century, having been erected on the former site of a small 15th-century chapel. It has a simple structure, with the sumptuousness and elegance of marble being evident on the altars, tables, doorways, fonts and lavabos on the inside.

On the outside, the most notable feature is the marble Renaissance doorway with its low-relief carvings depicting scenes from the martyrdom of St. Bartholomew at the bases of the side columns. In a niche towards the top is a polychrome marble image of the devout saint, dating from the 17th century. Also worth noting is the curious bell tower with a bulb-shaped dome enlivened by fanlights in the corners. On the eastern façade, there is a doorway similar to the main one, above which there is a niche containing an image of the Immaculate Conception, which is also made of marble.

The church is worth visiting in particular for its interior, in which it is possible to find interesting examples of the Portuguese decorative arts. The single three-bayed nave is covered by a ribbed vault, completely painted with grotesque motifs. The side walls, into which six chapels have been cut, are lined with azulejo panels decorated with the curious motif of an "ear of corn" dating from the 17th century.

The entrance to the chancel is through an elegant triumphal arch in the black and white marble from the region. There we can see an interesting altarpiece made of carved and gilded wood. The ceiling is painted with frescoes displaying the same theme as the vault in the main body of the church. The walls have also been covered with locally quarried marble, which was placed there during the reign of D. João V, in roughly 1730, to replace the previous wall covering in azulejos.