Bravães - Igreja de São Salvador

A Benedictine convent existed here since ~ 1080. End of the 12th century the monastery got imncorporated into a commandry of the Knights Templar, whom the monks had to pay for protection. Later Augustin Canons lived here until the convent got dissolved and the church converted into a parish church in 1434.

The "Igreja de São Salvador", erected within the 12th century, is small, but has wonderful and very unique carvings.

Here are the capitals of the flanking columns (left side). These carvings are extraordenary not only in quality, but as well in their complexity, that reminds me on the "Pilier de Souillac", - but in a way smaller scale.

Following Manuel L. Real ("Portugal Roman", Edition Zodiaque), Igreja de São Salvador is one of the most beautiful Romanesque "village churches", in the whole of Portugal. He identifies Barbary macaques on the left pillar - and on the archivolt above.