Two more churches in Faro and Tavira have been classified as monuments of public interest, according to a notice published in the Official Gazette.
One is the church of São Pedro in Faro, dating back to 1518 "then consisting of a small chapel founded by fishermen living in the Ribeira district," and was rebuilt by the Order of Santiago in the second half of the sixteenth century.
The other is the Church of São José do Hospital (or of the Espírito Santo) in Tavira, "a rare specimen in the Algarve of a baroque octagonal church."
Meanwhile, Castro Marim council has shown its support for its important religious heritage and has approved the allocation of a grant of €49,000 to the Igreja de Odeleite for conservation and restoration.
For Castro Marim the conservation and restoration work on the altar of the Igreja de Odeleite "is of great importance." This is the most important religious heritage in the area,” according to historian Francisco Lameira, while at the same time it represents to the council "a solid investment in a town that has huge tourist potential."
A successful grant application for the specialist work in Castro Marim has been obtained under the PRODER programme whcih will cover 60% of the costs.
The work will cost €108,141 and is scheduled to start in early March. This will include conservation and restoration of three of the five altars in the church which are in dire need of repair.
The altarpieces all have structural and aesthetic problems, particularly cracks and fissures in the wood and evidence of damage by insects. This, and a significant loss of polychrome, means the work will involve total removal, or replacement in some cases, of the structure.
Central government says it has no money to repair and maintain the nation’s architectural and religious heritage. Castro Marim and other of the Algarve’s councils are ensuring that essential work continues and are to be applauded for finding the money, both grant-aided and direct, to keep these important buildings in good condition.
Religious tourism is one of the region’s niche markets and tourists lured by the promise of historic churches will expect them to be in a worthy state.
