Our Lady Of The Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Leiria
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The Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral () also called Leiria Cathedral It is a Catholic church built in the center of the city of
Leiria Leiria () is a city and municipality in the Central Region, Portugal, Central Region of Portugal. It is the 2nd largest city in that same region, after Coimbra, with a municipality population of 128,640 (as of 2021) in an area of . It is the seat o ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. The church was built between 1550 and 1574, according to a project by architect Afonso Alvares. The city had been elevated to a diocese in 1545, thanks to a request of John III to
Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...
. Because the churches of Nossa Senhora da Pena and San Pedro were too small for the population, building a new one is needed suitable for the new church dignity. The first stone was laid on August 1, 1550, becoming one of the most important buildings of the late Renaissance in Portugal. The building was later altered successive stages, according to the taste of the bishops of the diocese. The cathedral was partially destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, so reforms that gave the current robust appearance were made. Of the original construction, the front facade, just 3 remaining panels at the entrance, two of which correspond to the central or higher. The building was also damaged during the
Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
in 1811, French troops set fire, destroying much of its interior decoration.


See also

* Roman Catholicism in Portugal *
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not defined as a ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Church
Leiria Leiria () is a city and municipality in the Central Region, Portugal, Central Region of Portugal. It is the 2nd largest city in that same region, after Coimbra, with a municipality population of 128,640 (as of 2021) in an area of . It is the seat o ...
Buildings and structures in Leiria Roman Catholic churches completed in 1574 National monuments in Leiria District 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Portugal