the church where setúbal began
Out front, two heavy bell towers and an open narthex underneath. The facade is Mannerist, no frills. Designed by António Rodrigues, a 16th-century architect.
The site is older than the building. Setúbal's first main church stood here from the 13th century, and the medieval town grew up around it, in a neighbourhood that became the religious, political and administrative centre of the settlement. In the 16th century the work starts from scratch. By around 1567, when it's finished, this is the Santa Maria da Graça you see today, in its essentials.
Inside, three naves separated by Tuscan-order columns, with fresco painting from the late 18th century. The altars and chancel are covered in gilded woodwork from the late 17th and early 18th century. The side walls gained blue-and-white tile panels from the 18th century, with Marian scenes.
The Diocese of Setúbal was created in 1975 and it was here that D. Manuel Martins was ordained, the city's first bishop. The Mercado do Livramento is a few steps away and Praça Bocage just after. Setúbal's centre started in front of this door.
what you'll find inside
- the Mannerist facade by António Rodrigues, with two bell towers and an open narthex
- three naves separated by Tuscan-order columns, with fresco painting from the late 18th century
- gilded woodwork on the altars and chancel, from the late 17th and early 18th century
- blue-and-white 18th-century tile panels on the side walls, with Marian scenes
