A mosaic of blue and white azulejos tells a silent story. That story is about Igreja de São Martinho de Fornelo. Welcome to this beautiful church. Igreja de São Martinho de Fornelo stands as a testament to faith. It showcases art and history in the Vila do Conde region of Porto.
The Igreja Paroquial de Fornelo is also known as Igreja de São Martinho. It is an oitocentista or 19th-century religious architectural marvel. The church presents a rectangular design. It includes a nave, a main chapel, and annexes. These additions flank the lateral facades. A bell tower rises gracefully on the right side.
Notice the interior coverings. They feature differentiated false barrel vaults. Light streams in through expansive windows. These windows punctuate the side facades. The windows on the Gospel side are now inactive. This is due to the addition of a two-story annex.
The main facade culminates in a pediment. Vents pierce the facade along a central axis. It is made of a portal with a straight lintel. Above are two large windows. The tower has three sections. It features bells with perfect returns. It’s topped with a bulbous spire.
Look at the facades. They have quoins reinforced by urns. They finish with friezes and cornices. The lateral facades include transverse doors with straight lintels. The one on the Gospel side is inactive due to the annex.
Inside Igreja de São Martinho de Fornelo, observe the high choir. It rests on a basket-handle arch. The baptistery and pulpit are on the Gospel side. The pulpit is accessible through a door within the wall’s thickness.
The triumphal arch displays a perfect return. It sits on Tuscan pilasters. Painted, 19th-century side altarpieces in carved wood flank it. These are arranged at angles. The side chapels feature similar 19th-century carved wood structures. The main chapel includes a dais. It highlights the neoclassical carved wood altarpiece. The altarpiece has a convex design.
In 1864 Bernardino Francisco de Azevedo Campos sponsored a renovation. He ordered this frontispiece to be made. He also reformed Igreja de São Martinho de Fornelo at his expense.
António de Azevedo Pereira built the tower in 1861. He did so entirely at his expense. The tower door guard bears the inscription “1867”. The parish of Fornelo is dedicated to São Martinho. He was a bishop of Tours. He lived in the 4th century. He is best known for his charity. Legend says he shared his cape with a beggar.
The church’s history goes back centuries. The first baptism record dates to February 2, 1586. The first death record is from May 5 of the same year. The initial marriage record occurred on March 12, 1587.
In 1758 the parish priest Manuel Rodrigues Lima described the church. He noted it was dedicated to São Martinho. The altar-mor displayed the image of the orago. This included Santo António and Menino Jesus. The side altars featured the Santíssimo Sacramento and the Santíssima Trindade. On the opposite side was Nossa Senhora do Rosário.
Several donors contributed to Igreja de São Martinho de Fornelo. Joaquim Manuel Ferreira de Sousa sponsored the lateral altarpiece of the Gospel in 1873. Bernardino José de Sousa bequeathed the altarpiece of the Epístola. This was dedicated to the Crucified in 1888. Manuel José de Sousa ordered the altar and gilding of the Epístola’s side altarpiece in 1867.
Visiting Igreja de São Martinho de Fornelo offers more than aesthetic pleasure. It provides a tangible connection. It connects to the community. It links to the faith and artistry of generations.
Igreja de São Martinho de Fornelo invites reflection. Its walls whisper stories of devotion. They echo the contributions of those who shaped its enduring presence.