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The Monastery of the Saviour of Paço de Sousa was founded in the 10th century by Trutesendo Galindes and his wife Anímia.
It was an important monastery of the Benedictine Order and was linked to the Ribadouro family.
The Church, erected in the 13th century in the same location as the previous temple [12th century], demonstrates very unique decoration.
It uses bevel-carved botanical ornamentation and develops long friezes in and outside the Church in the style of Visigoth and Mozarab architecture.
Paço de Sousa was the birthplace of a trend based on the pre-Romanesque tradition and influenced by Romanesque themes from the Cathedral of Porto and the city of Coimbra, giving rise to what was known as "nationalized Romanesque".
Inside the Church there is the Tomb of Egas Moniz de Ribadouro, squire of the king Afonso Henriques, which results from the joining of two funerary arks, one from the late 12th century and another from the 13th century.
The chancel, the sacristy, the cloister and what remains of the monastic building date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The set underwent restoration works in the 19th [1883 and 1887] and 20th [1927-1938] centuries.
Type: Monastery
Classification: National Monument - 1910
Route: Sousa Valley
10th century - Original edification (the first documented reference dates back to 994);
13th century - Construction of the Romanesque church;
17th and 18th centuries - Remodeling and transformation of the main chapel and the main façade; remodeling of the cloister and monastic quarters;
1883 to 1887 - Restoration works under the supervision of the Ministério das Obras Públicas [Ministry of Public Works];
1910 - Classification of the church as National Monument (Dec. 6-16-1910);
1920 and 1924 - Beginning of the restoration works under the Ministério das Obras Públicas [Ministry of Public Works];
1927 - A fire partially destroys the Monastery;
1927-1938 - Beginning of the restoration works of the DGEMN – Direção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais [General Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments];
1950-1987 - Conservation and restoration works under the scope of the DGEMN – Direção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais [General Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments] and of the Fabriqueira Commission;
1992 - The Church and Monastery of Paço de Sousa are allocated to the IPPAR - Instituto Português do Património Arquitetónico [Portuguese Institute of Architectural Heritage];
1998 - The Monastery of the Saviour of Paço de Sousa is included in the Route of the Romanesque of Vale do Sousa;
2010 - Opening of the Tourist Information Centre of the Route of the Romanesque;
2017-2018 - Conservation, safeguarding and enhancement works, under the coordination of the Route of the Romanesque: roof maintenance, drainage and earthworks in the surrounding area; cleaning and treatment of walls, conservation of ceilings, electrical installation and renovation of the cloister; archaeological excavations, conservation and restoration works in the sacristy.
Divine Saviour - 6th August
By appointment
Saturday - 9 pm; Sunday - 7.30 am and 11 am
Monument fully or partly accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
visitasrr@valsousa.pt
+351 255 810 706
+351 918 116 488
