Church of St John in Évora, Portugal: Gothic and blue azulejos

The Church of St John the Evangelist in the Portuguese city of Évora is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Portugal, so it is hardly surprising that it was declared a national monument as early as 1910. Paradoxically, it is better known as Loios (dos Lóios), and it owes its fame to its Gothic portal.

History and the puzzle of dating

The construction date of the church of the “blue monks” is shrouded in mystery. Some sources place the building at the end of the 14th century; others say it was erected no later than 1485 as a pantheon church for the family of the Counts of Melo; still others hold that the foundations of the whole monastery complex were laid only in 1487. The monastery church was later turned into a hotel. The church was consecrated in 1491.

According to some sources, the monastery was founded on the initiative of the first Count of Olivença, Dom Rodrigo de Melo, chief guardian of King Afonso V and governor of Tangier. It was built on the foundations of a medieval castle’s ruins and became a superb example of late Gothic in the Alentejo region. The church itself is almost entirely in the Manueline style, and its Gothic portal with five archivolts combines marble columns with granite capitals and a limestone canopy.

What to see inside

Behind the Gothic portal lies a richly decorated interior. The azulejos were made in 1711 by the master Antonio de Oliveira Bernardes and depict scenes from the life of the Venetian patriarch St Lawrence Giustiniani. They contrast beautifully with the white vaults and are regarded as one of the master’s most important works. Your eye is also drawn to an opening in the floor through which you can see the crypt next to a Moorish cistern, as well as a side chapel with examples of gilded carving.

The family burial place did, at least in part, materialise in the end: in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament stands the marble tomb of Francisco de Melo, a Renaissance work by Nicolau Chanterene with bas-relief figures of the founders. Dom Rodrigo de Sousa and his wife, Dom Rui de Sousa and Dona Branca de Vilhena are also buried here. The chapter house has kept its entrance with a columned portal and horseshoe arches, an example of regional Manueline-Mudéjar architecture; a medallion recalls Dom Rodrigo’s part in the Battle of Azamor in 1508, which is used to date the hall roughly.

On the left side of the nave is the patrons’ tribune with a balcony and a white marble balustrade from the early 18th century. The sacristy has preserved valuable furniture and the remains of an early 17th-century fresco of Calvary surrounded by angels, probably by José de Escobar. The choir was built in the 16th century, which caused the original façade to disappear and a narthex to appear; the main altar was installed in 1630. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake seriously damaged the church, and it lost many of its original elements.

Practical information

The church stands at the top of the so-called Évora acropolis, right next to the Roman temple, which is why few people pass by. The address is Largo do Conde de Vila Flor. Unlike most other churches in the city, admission is paid: €7, but the ticket is also valid for the exhibitions in the neighbouring Cadaval Palace. It is open every day except Monday, from 10:00 to 18:00.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by turistika.cz