Church of the Monastery of St. Dominic - Viana do Castelo

The Church of São Domingos or Church of Santa Cruz belonged to the ancient Monastery of Santa Cruz , founded by the Dominican friar Bartolomeu dos Mártires, the holy archbishop beatified by Pope John Paul II and made famous by his participation in the Council of Trent.

It is a 16th century church, built between 1566 and 1576 , according to the design of the Dominican friar Julião Romero, the same author of the church of São Gonçalo de Amarante.

Inside you can admire several altars with beautiful gilded woodwork , especially the grandiose altarpiece on the northern arm of the transept, in "fat woodwork", by the master José Alvares de Araújo from Braga, based on the design commissioned in 1760 from the master André Soares by the brotherhood of Rosário. It was considered a "masterpiece of the rocaille style from all over Europe" by the American researcher Robert Smith, a connoisseur of Portuguese woodcarving in the 1970s.

The tomb of Saint Bartholomew of the Martyrs is also located in the church.

On June 17, 2020, the Portuguese Bishops' Conference approved the classification as a minor basilica .

Willem Vandenameele