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Igreja de São Julião

The Igreja de São Julião (St. Julian's Church) is a 18th century church located on the Praça de Bocage in Setúbal, Portugal. It is the main church (Matriz) of the city.

[edit] History

The Church of São Julião was originally built in the second half of the 13th century. According to tradition, it was sponsored by the fishermen of Setúbal. It is known that, at the end of the 15th century, the church was connected to the Palace of Jorge de Lencastre, Master of the Order of Santiago and Duke of Aveiro. The Duke used the Church of São Julião as his private chapel until around 1510.

Between 1513 and 1520 the mediaeval church was rebuilt by order of King Manuel I. The rebuilding was sponsored by the King but also by the local population and the Master of Santiago. The style was the Manueline, the Portuguese variation of late Gothic, as attested by the main and lateral portals of the present church, the sole survivors of the Manueline building. In 1531 a strong earthquake stroke Setúbal and the Church of São Julião was damaged; the building was considerably modified in Mannerist style and reinaugurated in 1570.

Nave and choir

The original church was almost completely destroyed by the Great Earthquake of 1755 and was greatly rebuilt and redecorated in the last third of the 18th century following the late Baroque style. From this stage date the general appearance of the façade, the inner wooden roof, the painted tiles, the main and lateral altarpieces and the main chapel.

[edit] Art and architecture