Our Lady of the Conception Convent

Largo da Conceição

URL: Our Lady of the Conception Convent

Our Lady of the Conception Convent
Crossing the Rua das Portas de Mértola street on the way to the Largo da Conceição square, we approach the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, inevitably associated with the story of the heartsick nun Mariana Alcoforado, who was buried here.

The exterior architecture reflects all the sobriety of religious monuments, but is topped by dazzling lattice-worked platbands from where the graceful bell-tower rises.

With a Manueline portal, it has an entrance hall that leads to the Church, in gilded wood-work; to the left, a Gothic portal leads directly inside.

Of the four altars, three are in carved wood-work (two from the 17th century and one from the 18th), and the fourth, dedicated to St John the Baptist, is decorated with Florentine mosaic.

The initial nucleus of the convent, with various rooms stretching to the right of the Church, has been preserved, together with the cloister.

On the first floor, it is easy to find the "window of Mértola", from where Mariana is said to have seen the marquis of Chamilly for the first time, and that evokes the sad and romantic story of this nun whose passion has inspired poets and painters from all the world.

The Convent now lodges the Regional Museum Rainha Dona Leonor.