Portugal is a religious country, with churches, monasteries and convents spread everywhere. Some of these buildings intended for religious use are so remote that many people don't even know they exist. This is almost the case with one of the most beautiful churches in the country, which is not that remote, but is far from being a tourist attraction. I speak of Válega Church, localized in the Aveiro region, in Ovar, a true masterpiece of the art of tile painting and without a shadow of a doubt one of the most impressive churches in Portugal!
We are used to seeing white tiles with mostly blue, green or yellow paintings, but the Válega Church is very different: they are real pictures painted on the tiles, both outside and inside the temple. But let's talk a little about the story. The patronage of the Válega church belonged to private individuals until 1150. From that date until 1288 it belonged to the Monastery of São Pedro de Ferreira. In 1583 it became the property of the bishop and the chapter of the Cathedral of Porto. There are no traces of the secular church and work to construct the current building began in 1746 and lasted more than 100 years.
In 1942, the tile panel depicting the Lady of Amparo was installed at the top of the main chapel, designed by Jorge Colaço's studio and executed by Fábrica Lusitânia, in Lisbon.
But the innovations did not stop there: between 1959 and 1960 a campaign sponsored by Antônio Maria Augusto da Silva, commander of the Order of Benemerência, took place, which included the covering with marble slabs of the interior walls of the main chapel, the sub-choir and the general wainscoting, the cladding on the main facade on the interior walls of the nave and in the upper part of the triumphal arch, with figured polychrome tiles from Fábrica Aleluia, in Aveiro, and the stained glass windows in the windows signed by S. Cuadrado, from Madrid.
Finally, in 1975 the side and rear elevations were covered with tiles from Fábrica Aleluia, designed by architect Januário Godinho.
For me, it is one of the most beautiful churches in Portugal. The country is known for its tiles, but I confess that I was surprised when I arrived in Válega, by the grandeur of the building and by the fact that they were almost like paintings painted on the outside and also (to an even greater surprise when I entered) on the inside. It is almost 240 km away from Lisbon, but it is well worth it, when, for example, you go to Porto or Aveiro, put Ovar on your itinerary and visit this impressive church.