Monuments

A Templar building.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrow, or Pain, is situated on a beautiful peninsula flanked by Zêzere River, in the village of Dornes, municipality of Ferreira do Zêzere. Built by order of Queen D. Isabel de Aragão, wife of D. Dinis, the primitive 13th-century sanctuary was replaced by the current building, built by D. Gonçalo de Sousa, Commander of the Order of Christ, in 1453.

The Church of Our Lady of Sorrow is characterised by a combination of styles, since its architecture it combines Gothic, Mannerism and Baroque. With a longitudinal layout, its triangular facade opens into a vestibule of straight lines. On the mantel two stone images can be found, which may be from the original building. Also to the right of the portico is a gothic inscription surmounted by the coat of arms of D. Gonçalo de Sousa.

Inside the single nave, the polychrome-pattern 17th century panels, which line the walls of the church, deserve particular attention; as do the 16th century blue and white sashes, which line the walls of the chancel; the main altarpiece with 17th century gilded carving, bearing a 16th century stone image of the patroness, Our Lady of Sorrow, with the iconographic form of the Pieta; and the recently restored 18th century pipe organ. The altar of the Blessed Sacrament, on the north side, and the altar dedicated to the Holy Trinity, on the south side, are also worthy of note in the main body of the church.

Outside the church, away from it, is a free-standing Templar tower, built initially as a defensive tower and, later, turned into bell tower.

The main celebrations take place on August 15 and Monday of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost), the largest of all candlelit vigils, which converges there from Easter Monday to September.