Building Name: | Igreja São Domingos |
Location: | Largo de São Domingos, 1150 Lisboa, Portugal. |
Religious Affiliation: | Roman Catholic |
Rite: | Latin Rite |
Region: | Lisboa Region |
District: | Lisbon District |
Municipality: | Lisbon |
Architecture Style: | Baroque |
Church of St. Dominic (Portuguese: Igreja de São Domingos) is a Catholic church in Lisbon, Portugal. It is classified as a National Monument.[1]
The church was dedicated in 1241 and was, at one time, the largest church in Lisbon.[2] Prior to the establishment of the modern Portuguese republic in 1910, the church typically hosted Portuguese royal weddings.[2] Formerly the home of the Inquisition, Jesuit missionary Gabriel Malagrida was famously executed at the church in 1761 after being accused of treason.[2] In 1506, the church and the church square were the scenes of the Lisbon massacre when thousands of New Christians (previously converted Jews) were murdered by the Christian mob.[3] The church was damaged by the 1531 Lisbon earthquake and almost completely destroyed in the 1755 earthquake.[4] Rebuilding began quickly but wasn't completed until 1807.[5] In 1959 the church was devastated once more when a fire broke out in the building.[6] The fire, which killed two firefighters, took more than six hours to extinguish and completely gutted the church, destroying many important paintings and statues.[6] In 1994 the church reopened.[7] The restoration left many signs of the fire in place.[7]