The Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is one of the best-preserved examples of the Manueline style, with a splendid doorway. It has been a national monument since 1910.
On the Camino
The 30.7 km (19.1 miles) stage from Santarém ends in Largo da Imaculada Conceição, in front of this church. The next day the stage to Tomar sets out from here.
Its history
It was built in the first half of the 16th century in place of a small Gothic church. It was paid for partly by the Crown and partly by local people, because Manuel I took a special interest in the town: his coat of arms and the armillary sphere appear in several places on the building. Everything suggests that Diogo Boitaca, the architect of the Jerónimos, was involved. In the 1930s and 1940s the Baroque additions were removed to restore its Manueline appearance, and a panel of azulejos brought from the Graça church in Santarém was placed on the high altar.