The Church of Vila Boa de Quires was built in the second quarter of the 13th century, as part of a monastic complex. It seems to have been secularized already in the 14th century and was linked to the lineage of the Portocarreiros, with particular local and regional importance throughout the Middle Ages.
The main façade stands out as one of the most elaborate in the Baixo Tâmega, similar to the Church of Barrô (Resende). The portal resembles the one in the Church of the Monastery of Paço de Sousa (Penafiel), featuring decorated capitals with symmetrical motifs of botanic nature. The corbels [salient support stones] feature the shape of bovine heads. The entire façade was displaced in 1881 when the nave was expanded and the bell tower was added.
The interior contrasts with the sobriety of the façade and the detachment imposed by the granite ornaments. The most noticeable artistic differences may be found in the chancel. The Neoclassical altarpiece [main altar] features a large canvas alluding to the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In the vault of the chancel, a set of 18th century paintings narrate scenes of the Trial and Passion of Christ, whose journey ends in the mural painting on the triumphal arch, in the nave.
Location: Marco de Canaveses
