Portugal is a country rich in history and architectural monuments that somehow contribute to its knowledge. Well know, it is in the year 1910, that is declared as National Monument the Monastery of Pombeiro.
Also known by the name of Santa Maria de Pombeiro Monastery, it is in the parish of Pombeiro de Ribavizela, in the municipality of Felgueiras that it can be visited. Also know that this monument integrates, together with another twenty-one, the Romanesque Route of Vale do Sousa.
But this tells very little about this part of the national heritage, and for history lovers (and not only) here comes some more relevant information. The abbey is dated from 1059 to 1102 and from all those years of effort there are currently only two absidioles and the main portal with four archivolts.
It is known that during the Philippine Dynasty two more towers were built and that D. Gonçalo Mendes de Sousa was the patron saint of the monastery.
Mosteiro de Pombeiro
Mosteiro de Pombeiro
Later, in 1770, it was Friar José de Santo António Vilaça who, upon his arrival at such a building, was a reason for the renovation of the interior of the Church, and at that time some carved altars were built. Unfortunately, and with the 1834 extinction of the Religious Orders, Pombeiro Monastery was plundered and lost much of its stones that were used by members of the community for their private works.
Mosteiro de Pombeiro
Mosteiro de Pombeiro
Mosteiro de Pombeiro
It is thought that initially this monastery was a modern building, although there is nothing to prove it. The creation of the identified monastery took place with D.Fernando, although only in the condal period were the foundations of its construction made with a donation of D. Egas Gomes de Sousa and the letter of couto of D.Teresa.
It is known that it was the benedits who began the Romanesque project, since the typology of the church was markedly that of the great monasteries of the order: a tripartite body, a wooden covering, an unremarkable transept, a vaulted and tripartite headboard and a chancel larger than the absidioles.
