Santa Clara Porto

 I am a huge fan of Sacheverill Sitwell and in his Portugal and Madeira (Batsford, 1954) I had remembered that there was a church about which even he excelled in his enthusiasm. : Santa Clara, Porto.

He wrote "One of its delights is that it is not easy to find, and when discovered is most difficult to enter". I would agree with the first part but entry is now very much part of the tourist circuit, unlike back in 1954 when he had to make four attempts at entry! Yes I agree the building externally is unremarkable and at "the first moment of entering Santa Clara fairly takes one's breath away. It is an aisleless chapel of medieval construction transformed into a golden cavern. But the transformation is not architectural. It is the art of the altar gilder and scenographer, much influenced by the theatre, or....under the influence of sacred music. This is an entirely Portuguese manifestation, having nothing to do with the Italian architects who worked in Portugal. It is a final and culminating ecstacy or delirium of the Baroque." At the time even I was getting punch drunk with the amount of gold decor. Looking back now this place had to be seen and I am glad that I took closeup photos of the woodwork to help appreciate this remarkable flowering of art.

The five altars each side behind arches covered with mollusc-like decor, the groining of the ceiling, the huge proscenium arch before the high altar and the dramatic climax of the high altar cavern itself all glittering with gold leaf. Amazing! Sitwell even compares it with a golden age Hindu temple. Neither wortds nor photos capture it. Like all great buildings the light, time of day, or hundreds of candles add different dimensions of perception.

The coro alto at the rear of the church which looks down through grilled windows adds an air of mystery. Here are the nuns' choir stalls with walls of blue and white azulejos and panels with religious paintings. The stunning golden church interior below combined with the nuns' singing must have been an overwhelming experience for the local population in the late 18th century.

I let the photos speak for themselves!

I wonder whose idea the lectern and priest's chair were?! Not a good idea I think!