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The church and convent were built on the site of an
earlier convent (dating back to the 7th century) due to
the proximity where it is alleged
Santa Iria, was thrown to
her death.
The
church itself is part of a larger building (the
Convento) and is rectangular inside. You could be
forgiven for thinking the
Igreja Santa Iria
is quite plain from the exterior. Aside from the
decorative and artist stone work surrounding the main
entrance and the window of the Chapel of the Valleys
(Capela dos Valles), the facade is quite plain.
However
this cannot be said of the interior, which is highly
decorative with hand painted tiles (azulejos) upon three
of the four walls. The tiles and the murals inside date
back to the 17th century and are quite spectacular. *Unfortunately
photography is not allowed inside the church due to the
age and delicacy of the tiles and murals so we are
unable to provide visual aids for this church's
interior.
The
Convento do Santa Iria has fallen
into disrepair of later years. However there are plans
by the local town council of Tomar to restored the
complex of buildings which form the original church and
convent to their former glory.
One
point of interest about the
Convento do Santa Iria, is the
covered walkway, which used to provide safe transit
above the Rua do Santa Iria, adjacent, for the sisters
of Santa Clara (Freiras do Santa Clara), who resided in the Convento. The covered
archway, reminiscent of those in the Italian city of
Florence, allowed the Sisters of Santa Clara to walk to
and from prayer without worry of mixing with men or
infidels. |
