Churches in Tavira
Tavira in the Algarve has a number of historic and pretty churches.
Church of Santa Maria Tavira
The Igreja de Santa Maria do Castelo (Church of Saint Maria of the Castle) stands on the ruins of a former mosque. As the name suggests it is also very close to Tavira Castle. The mosque is thought to have been one of the largest in the Algarve.
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| Church of Santa Maria |
The chapel contains the tombs of seven Christian knights killed by the Moors in the 13th century, an act which prompted the reconquest of Tavira from the Moslems by Dom Paio Peres Correia, whose tomb is also in the church. Dom Paio Peres Correia also led the reconquest of Silves.
The Church of Santa Maria dates from the 13th century after the Reconquista of the city from the Moors. The church was built as an initiative of the Order of Santiago (1242) by D. Paio Peres Correia to replace the Arab mosque that existed here. Though this history is not conclusive and it is not certain whether a mosque was situated here or not.
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| 19th Century Clock Tower, Church of Santa Maria |
The church stands out for its 19th-century clock tower and oversized clock face.
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| Church of Santa Maria |
Igreja de Santiago, Tavira
The church dates back to the 13th century. Personages involved in its construction include D. Afonso III and the Bishop of Silves.
The church has a single nave with a main chapel and several side chapels. The interior has a set of wood carved altarpieces along with the fourteenth and sixteenth-century paintings that represent São João Batista, São Pedro, São Vicente, and São Brás.
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| Igreja de Santiago, Tavira |
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| Church of Santa Maria |
Igreja de São Paulo
The Igreja de São Paulo is the former church of the Convento or Monastery of São Paulo (Igreja do Antigo Convento dos Eremitas de São Paulo).
The church, built in the shape of a Latin cross, dates from 1606 but after the dissolution of the monasteries in Portugal in 1834, the fittings and grounds were sold at public auction and the building came into the hands of the Fraternity of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda (Our Lady of Assistance). Her statue can be seen in the niche in the façade.
Inside the church is a collection of paintings, carvings, and religious images from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, many from other churches and dissolved monasteries in the area.
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| Igreja de São Paulo |
Igreja da Misericórdia de Tavira
The church dates from the mid-sixteenth century in Renaissance style. The interior has some superb azulejos tilework.
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| Igreja da Misericórdia de Tavira |
Ermida de Santa Ana
The Ermida de Santa Ana dates from the 16th century. Visitors to Tavira should also enjoy the historic Ponte Romana over the river.
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| Ermida de Santa Ana |
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