Lares → Santo António dos Olivais

Church of Santo António dos Olivais

The parish’s landmark church began as a 13th-century hermitage given to Franciscan friars. Fernando de Bulhões, later known as Saint Anthony of Padua, became a Franciscan here before leaving Portugal. The present Church of Santo António dos Olivais took on its Baroque form in the 18th century; inside, blue-and-white azulejos depict scenes from the saint’s life, while a three-arched portico precedes the broad stairway.

A hillside quarter of Coimbra

The church sits above the city on a slope that gives the parish a distinct setting from Coimbra’s riverfront centre. Its long association with Franciscan devotion continues in local religious life. Look closely at the tiled panels and the image of Saint Anthony above the central arch to see how the building combines an austere exterior with a richly decorated interior.