“Mosteiro de Vilela” echoes through the ages. This religious building stands before us. It whispers tales from centuries past. It has transformed greatly over time.
Welcome to the Mosteiro de Vilela. It is also known as the Igreja Paroquial de Vilela or Igreja de Santo Estêvão. This religious building is located in Vilela Porto. It shows architectural influences from the 19th century.
Originally, it was a monastery for the Cónegos Regrantes de Santo Agostinho. The monastery included a church. The convent area was attached to the right side. It developed around a quadrangular courtyard.
The church underwent extensive remodeling in the 19th century. This was to adapt it into a parish church. The church has a rectangular layout. It includes a nave, chancel and annex on the right side. Its ceilings feature false barrel vaults with simple coffers. Rectilinear windows pierce the side facades. They provide uniform lighting.
The main facade displays a harmonic design. It features a body topped by a triangular pediment. Openings are aligned along an axis. It includes a straight lintel portal and a large window. Flanking the facade are two-tiered bell towers. The upper tiers have perfect arches. They are capped with pyramidal spires.
Inside, a high choir sits on a lowered arch. Lateral accesses are present. The baptistery is below on the Gospel side. Confessionals face each other. A pulpit is on the Gospel side. The triumphal arch displays a perfect arch. It rests on Tuscan pilasters. Colateral altarpieces flank it.
The chancel includes a platform. It supports the main altarpiece. This carved and painted piece shows classical influences. The convent area has three wings. They have two floors. The lower floors feature rectilinear openings. The upper floors have perfect arches. In the wing attached to the church is the confessional corridor. The sacristy is perpendicular to it. A large fence extends along the rear facade.
The church functions as the parish of Vilela. The convent area remains. It has undergone some alterations. It now hosts cultural activities. The church’s structure remains. Elements like the old high choir, pulpit and embedded confessionals are still visible. The Epístola’s collateral altarpiece is original and neoclassical. The opposite and main altarpieces resemble it. Several altar tables feature gilded carvings. They incorporate repurposed Baroque panels.
Some elements of an earlier structure may remain in the main altarpiece. This includes capitals and the finish in the backrest and interrupted pediments. A 16th-century baptismal font is present. An interesting protruding body is on one of the wings of the convent area. It stands out both externally and internally. It features an elaborate staircase inside.
The Câmara Municipal de Paredes acquired the monastery in 2006. The municipality plans to install a Furniture Museum.