The Estrela Basilica ( pt, Basílica da Estrela ) or the Royal Basilica and Convent of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( pt, Real Basílica e Convento do Santíssimo Coração de Jesus), is a
minor basilica
In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...
and ancient
carmelite convent
The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel ( la, Ordo Fratrum Beatissimæ Virginis Mariæ de Monte Carmelo; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a Roman Catho ...
in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
.
Ordered built by
Queen Maria I of Portugal as the fulfilment of a vow, the Basilica is not only a product of the Queen's particularly fervent devotion to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This dev ...
, but remains the most important architectural endeavour of her reign. The Estrela Basilica was the first church in the world dedicated to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This dev ...
.
History
Shortly after her wedding to her uncle
Infante Peter of Braganza in 1760,
Maria, Princess of Brazil vowed, before an image of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This dev ...
in the
Convent of Carnide, to build a church and convent under the
Rule of Saint Theresa if she was given the grace of bearing children that would assure the succession of the
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Ame ...
.
Princess Maria was, at the time, the eldest daughter and heiress presumptive of
King Joseph I, whom she eventually succeeded after his death in 1777. She gave birth to her first child,
Joseph, Prince of Beira, on 20 August 1761 (who died of
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
in 1788, while construction of the Basilica was underway).
Only after acceding to the throne could Queen Maria afford to see to the fulfilment of her vow. Construction began in 1779; the
groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are o ...
ceremony took place on 24 October: the Queen's husband,
Peter III, laid the first cornerstone and Fr. delivered the speech.
Mateus Vicente de Oliveira
Mateus Vicente de Oliveira (1706–1786) was a Portuguese architect. He studied under the architects João Frederico Ludovice and Jean Baptiste Robillon during the construction of the royal palace at Mafra - Portugal's attempt to rival the Span ...
, an important court architect, is made in charge of the works: it is under his direction that the construction of the conventual areas was carried out (from February 1778 to May 1781), as well as the beginning of the Basilica. Oliveira died in 1785, and was replaced with
Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos, who saw to the conclusion of the works. Reinaldo Manuel made substantial alterations to the exterior design of the church (namely, a different design of the
pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedimen ...
, of the
façade
A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'.
In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...
, of the
bell tower
A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...
s, and of the
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
to which he added a
roof lantern
A roof lantern is a daylighting architectural element. Architectural lanterns are part of a larger roof and provide natural light into the space or room below. In contemporary use it is an architectural skylight structure.
A lantern roof wil ...
).
Architecture
The huge church has a giant
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
, and is located in a hill in what was at the time the western part of Lisbon and can be viewed from far away. The style is similar to the
Mafra National Palace
The Palace of Mafra ( pt, Palácio de Mafra), also known as the Palace-Convent of Mafra and the Royal Building of Mafra (), is a monumental Baroque and Neoclassical palace-monastery located in Mafra, Portugal, some 28 kilometres from Lisbon. Co ...
, in late
baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and
neoclassical. The front has twin bell towers and includes statues of saints and some allegoric figures.
A large quantity of grey, pink and yellow
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
was used in the floor and walls, in intricate geometric patterns, one of the most beautiful in European churches. Several paintings by
Pompeo Batoni
Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (25 January 1708 – 4 February 1787) was an Italian painter who displayed a solid technical knowledge in his portrait work and in his numerous allegorical and mythological pictures. The high number of foreign visitors tra ...
also contribute to a balanced design. The tomb of the Queen Maria I is in the right
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
. A famous
nativity scene
In the Christianity, Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian language, Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christ ...
made by sculptor
Joaquim Machado de Castro, with more than 500 figures in
cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
and
terra cotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
is a major attraction to visitors.
See also
*
St. George's Anglican Church - located nearby
References
External links
{{Authority control
18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Portugal
1790 establishments in Portugal
Basilica churches in Portugal
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1790
Roman Catholic churches in Lisbon
Votive churches
National monuments in Lisbon District
Church buildings with domes