Uma igreja, duas histórias: um percurso pela história e pelo património da antiga Igreja Manuelina da Misericórdia de Lisboa - 2ª edição

The church of Conceição Velha is one of the most emblematic in the city of Lisbon, having become a national monument in 1910. However, few people know that this church was the first headquarters, built from scratch, of Misericórdia de Lisboa and that, due to its location in Ribeira, it was strongly affected by the earthquake of 1755. It gains new life with the Pombaline reconstruction of 1770, maintaining part of its original facade with the beautiful representation of the Mater Ommium or Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia, which under its mantle protects the whole society, acquiring the name of Conceição Velha.
The author tells us the history of these two churches – Conceição Velha and Misericórdia – both conceived in the reign of D. Manuel. The first, belonging to the Order of Christ, called Conceição Velha, which was the shallow ground of an old synagogue; the second, from Misericórdia, belonging to the brotherhood of the same name. After the earthquake, the latter moved to São Roque, in the upper part of the city, and Conceição Velha to the ruins of the old Misericórdia church. Over time, this change would generate confusion in historiography, and Conceição Velha came to be confused with the Misericórdia church, being interpreted as a single building. An aspect that this book ends up demystifying, through a careful analysis of documentary, iconographic and archaeological sources and a narrative that brings us the evolution of the Misericórdia church over time.

Author: Gonçalo de Carvalho Amaro
Illustration: Catarina França | SCML Editorial Center

Year of publication: 2nd edition, 2019
Editor: SCML
ISBN: 9789898712271