Basílica de Nossa Senhora dos Mártires - en
Pope John XXI
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June 30th, 2023

Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 38.71058722189798, -9.141404803619547

The Basilica of Nossa Senhora dos Mártires is a church located on Rua Garrett, in Chiado, in the Lisbon parish of Santa Maria Maior (in the territory of the extinct parish of Mártires, which owed its name to this patron saint). In late baroque and neoclassical style, it is an example of the quality of religious architecture in the context of the Pombaline reorganization of the city of Lisbon.

The parish of Nossa Senhora dos Mártires was created immediately after the reconquest of Lisbon from the Moors, in 1147, having its genesis in a small chapel erected in order to be able to worship the image of Our Lady brought by the English Crusaders, which was soon invoked by the people like Our Lady of Martyrs in memory of all the soldiers who died in combat in defense of the Christian faith. According to tradition, D. Afonso Henriques asked Our Lady for help and protection there, and the first baptism in the city after the Reconquista was administered there.

The hermitage was already a grand Baroque church in 1755, when it was completely destroyed during the earthquake that hit Lisbon that year. The current Basilica was designed by Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos, having been dedicated to religious worship in March 1784.

Representation of the appearance of the Igreja dos Mártires before the 1755 earthquake, on a panel of tiles from the beginning of the 18th century (Museu Nacional do Azulejo)The baptismal font is an original pre-earthquake piece, having been recovered intact from the original basilica: it was where they were baptized personalities such as Blessed Bartolomeu dos Mártires, in 1514; Cardinal D. Luís de Sousa, in 1630; the poet Fernando Pessoa, in 1888..
Representation of the appearance of the Igreja dos Mártires before the 1755 earthquake, on a panel of tiles from the beginning of the 18th century (Museu Nacional do Azulejo)The baptismal font is an original pre-earthquake piece, having been recovered intact from the original basilica: it was where they were baptized personalities such as Blessed Bartolomeu dos Mártires, in 1514; Cardinal D. Luís de Sousa, in 1630; the poet Fernando Pessoa, in 1888..

The magnificent ceilings and altarpieces were designed by Pedro Alexandrino de Carvalho and his disciple José António Narciso. The organ and the piece of furniture that covers it, in gilded woodwork, were built by the organ builder António Xavier Machado e Cerveira. The Basilica dos Mártires still has an 18th-century nativity scene, with 126 figures, carved by the school of Machado de Castro.

In the papal brief of Pope Pius VI, dated September 15, 1779, a plenary indulgence is granted to each of the Catholic faithful who, "truly repentant, confessed and strengthened with Holy Communion, devoutly visit the Basilica on the 13th of May since the eve until sunset of the same day and there to pray to God for peace among nations, for the orthodoxy of the faith and for the fidelity of Holy Mother Church."

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