Church of Saint Roch in Lisbon Portugal
The Igreja de São Roque or in English the Church of Saint Roch is an
amazing beautiful church in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
It was the earliest Jesuit Church in Portugal, for more than 200 years,
before the Jesuits were expelled.
The church is famous for its 18th. century Chapel of St. John the
Baptist, at that time it was the most expensive chapel in Europe.
With such an expensive chapel, it must be clear that the Church
of Saint Roch really has a fantastic royal history.
Royal History
When Lisbon was being ravaged by the plague, which had arrived by
ship from Italy, in 1505, the King and his court were forced to flee
the Portuguese capital for a while.
The site of São Roque, which was then outside the city walls, became
a cemetery for plague victims.
At the same time the King of Portugal, Manuel I (reigned from
1495-1521), sent someone to Venice for a relic of St. Roch, the patron
of the plague Victims.
The relic was sent by the Venetian government, and it was carried in
procession up the hill to the plague cemetery.
The inhabitants of Lisbon decided to erect a shrine on the site to
house the relic. The building of the shrine started on 24 March 1506
and it was ready on 25 February 1515.
In 1540, after the founding of the Society of Jesus in the 1530's
King John III of Portugal (1521-1557) invited them to come to Lisbon.
The first Jesuits arrived the same year. After negotiations John III
organized the relinquishment of the shrine to the Jesuits. In the
agreement included the creation of a chapel for St. Roch and the
attention of St. Roch as the patron saint of the new church.
The first stone was laid in 1555. The royal architect, Alfonso
Alvares (1557-1575) appeared to have supervised the work from
1566 till 1575.
In 1759 the Jesuits were accused of partipating in a revolution of
the nobility against King Joseph I of Portugal and his Prime Minister
the Marquis de Pombal. The Jesuits were expelled from Portugal and
the Church of St. Roch was confiscated along with other buildings.
On 8 February 1768, by a Royal Charter, the property was given
to the Lisbon Holy House of Mercy, whose original church was
destroyed by the 1755 earthquake.
Style
The decoration of the Igreja de São Roque is the result of several
phases of activity during the 17th and the 18th centuries.
The painted ceiling of the nave is designed to give the illusion of
barrel vaulting supported by four large arches covered in volutes
and other decorative elements. Most of this was painted between
1584 and 1586 by Francisco Venegas (1578-1590), the royal painter
of King Philip II.
There are various chapels but as said before, the Chapel of St. John
the Baptist is the most famous. This was commissioned in 1740 by
King John V of Portugal.
On 15 December 1744, the chapel was consecrated by Pope
Benedict XIV in the Church of St. Anthony in Rome.
At the Church of St. Roch there also is the tomb of Francis Tregian,
a very eminent English gentleman who spent time in prinson for
defending the Catholic faith in England during the persecutions
under Queen Elisabeth.
There are lots of gifts in the St. Roch Church inter alia from:
- D. João de Borga, second son of St. Francis Borgia, the Castilian
ambassador of King Philip II of Spain;
- Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605).
A visit
These pictures of the Church of Saint Roch in Lisbon, Portugal were
taken in 2017.
It was a big surprise tot see so much golden ornaments in such a
'simple' building.
own pictures taken in 2017
amazing beautiful church in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
It was the earliest Jesuit Church in Portugal, for more than 200 years,
before the Jesuits were expelled.
The church is famous for its 18th. century Chapel of St. John the
Baptist, at that time it was the most expensive chapel in Europe.
With such an expensive chapel, it must be clear that the Church
of Saint Roch really has a fantastic royal history.
Royal History
When Lisbon was being ravaged by the plague, which had arrived by
ship from Italy, in 1505, the King and his court were forced to flee
the Portuguese capital for a while.
The site of São Roque, which was then outside the city walls, became
a cemetery for plague victims.
At the same time the King of Portugal, Manuel I (reigned from
1495-1521), sent someone to Venice for a relic of St. Roch, the patron
of the plague Victims.
The relic was sent by the Venetian government, and it was carried in
procession up the hill to the plague cemetery.
The inhabitants of Lisbon decided to erect a shrine on the site to
house the relic. The building of the shrine started on 24 March 1506
and it was ready on 25 February 1515.
In 1540, after the founding of the Society of Jesus in the 1530's
King John III of Portugal (1521-1557) invited them to come to Lisbon.
The first Jesuits arrived the same year. After negotiations John III
organized the relinquishment of the shrine to the Jesuits. In the
agreement included the creation of a chapel for St. Roch and the
attention of St. Roch as the patron saint of the new church.
The first stone was laid in 1555. The royal architect, Alfonso
Alvares (1557-1575) appeared to have supervised the work from
1566 till 1575.
In 1759 the Jesuits were accused of partipating in a revolution of
the nobility against King Joseph I of Portugal and his Prime Minister
the Marquis de Pombal. The Jesuits were expelled from Portugal and
the Church of St. Roch was confiscated along with other buildings.
On 8 February 1768, by a Royal Charter, the property was given
to the Lisbon Holy House of Mercy, whose original church was
destroyed by the 1755 earthquake.
Style
The decoration of the Igreja de São Roque is the result of several
phases of activity during the 17th and the 18th centuries.
The painted ceiling of the nave is designed to give the illusion of
barrel vaulting supported by four large arches covered in volutes
and other decorative elements. Most of this was painted between
1584 and 1586 by Francisco Venegas (1578-1590), the royal painter
of King Philip II.
There are various chapels but as said before, the Chapel of St. John
the Baptist is the most famous. This was commissioned in 1740 by
King John V of Portugal.
On 15 December 1744, the chapel was consecrated by Pope
Benedict XIV in the Church of St. Anthony in Rome.
At the Church of St. Roch there also is the tomb of Francis Tregian,
a very eminent English gentleman who spent time in prinson for
defending the Catholic faith in England during the persecutions
under Queen Elisabeth.
There are lots of gifts in the St. Roch Church inter alia from:
- D. João de Borga, second son of St. Francis Borgia, the Castilian
ambassador of King Philip II of Spain;
- Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605).
A visit
These pictures of the Church of Saint Roch in Lisbon, Portugal were
taken in 2017.
It was a big surprise tot see so much golden ornaments in such a
'simple' building.
own pictures taken in 2017
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