Church of Menino de Deus

Background

On July 4, 1711, King John V of Portugal presided over the ceremony to lay the first stone of the Church of Menino de Deus, which was consecrated in March 1737 and withstood the earthquake of 1755. The church was associated with the hospital founded by the order of the Franciscanos de Xabregas, and was dedicated to the image of Menino Deus that came from the convent of Madre de Deus.

How We Helped

World Monuments Fund assisted with the conservation of two panels in the chancel, St. Francis giving up his clothesby Vieira Lusitano and St. Joseph and the death of St. Francis by André Rubira. The work was finished at the end of 2001. World Monuments Fund Portugal secured support from the Guincho Club to complete this important painting conservation program.

Why It Matters

The painting of the altars, the inlay of the marble, and the pictorial decorations on the ceiling make the church an important example of works commissioned during the reign of King John V in the eighteenth century.