Basilica of St. Torquatus, São Torcato, Portugal Verified listing

Basilica of St. Torquatus, São Torcato, Portugal

The Basilica of São Torcato stands in São Torcato. It’s in Guimarães, northern Portugal. This basilica honors Saint Torcato, a martyr. It blends many architectural styles. For example, it has classical, Gothic, Renaissance, and Romantic elements. The church is built with local granite stone. Work began in 1825. It continued through the 20th century. Eventually, they consecrated the church on October 25, 2015.

First, they built the chancel. Then, they laid the foundations for the nave. Luís Inácio de Barros Lima designed it. In 1866, Cesário Augusto Pinto proposed a competition. Ludwig Bohnstedt won. He came from Saint Petersburg. He had studied in Berlin. In 1867, Pinto began supervising the project. He worked until his death. Later, José Marques da Silva took over.

The basilica has an eclectic design. It uses neo-Romanesque elements. The façade shows two towers. These towers frame the central body. Inside, the church has a Latin cross shape. Furthermore, the incorrupt body of Saint Torcato rests inside. It is an important relic.

Outside, a large churchyard surrounds the basilica. This churchyard leads to the Monastery Park. The park faces the sanctuary. You can find vines and plane trees there. Moreover, the park has two bandstands and two water fountains. In September 2019, Pope Francis made the church a Minor Basilica. The official ceremony took place on February 27, 2020.

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