Church of the third order and former convent of São Francisco
The convent of São Francisco is one of the oldest religious buildings in the city of Tavira
Outside the old circle of walls, on the hill bordering Santa Maria, is the location of what remains of the old Franciscan convent of Tavira, an imposing building of medieval origin from the 13th and 14th centuries, now with its splendour diminished due to the collapse of part of the church (1840) and a major fire due to a bolt of lightning (1881). The current church is the result of 19th-century reconstruction works which changed its original orientation.
Parts of the old Gothic building still remain, particularly the current sacristy and two chapels that today open onto the municipal garden. The first still preserves a notable Gothic sexpartite vault, with its peaks and capitals in floral motifs, as well as a large, pointed arch window. This dependency corresponded to a collateral chapel at the head of the church. In turn, the two chapels that open onto the municipal garden are bounded at the entrance by traditional pointed arches and are covered by ribbed vaulted ceilings resting on capitals with floral motifs. These linked to the nave of the former convent church, which has now disappeared, functioning as side chapels.
Freguesia: Tavira other points of interest
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Cultural HeritageChapel of Our Lady of Consolation
According to tradition, this is where the condemned spent their final hours
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Cultural HeritageAtalaia Barracks
Built in 1795 by the Governor General of the Algarve, the Atalaia Barracks are one of the oldest in the country
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Cultural HeritageChurch of hospital do Espirito Santo ou São José
The origins of the Church of hospital do Espirito Santo ou São José, date back to the medieval period