The Episcopal Palace of the Diocese of Algarve, in Faro, will open to the public for visits from the 11th of April.
The opening ceremony will take place at 18 pm.
This decision was taken by the Bishop of the Algarve, D. Manuel Neto Quintas, after hearing some diocesan entities, and is based on the evidence to recognize and assume the Bishop's Palace as a «living testimony of the attention of the bishops of this diocese to the promotion of culture and valorization of the urban space of the city, contributing to make Largo da Sé the noble space, its ex-libris».
In view of this verification, «it made no sense not to permanently provide the people of the Algarve and those who visit us with the opportunity to discover and enjoy the richness and beauty of this cultural/religious heritage», refers to the Diocese.
After significant restoration work, the space will now be open to visitors who wish to do so, with the entire process of preparation having been carried out with the contribution of a technical team from the Municipal Museum of Faro.
The Episcopal Palace began to be built during the bishopric of D. Afonso Castel-Branco (1581-1585), following the transfer of the seat of the bishopric of the Algarve from Silves to FaroIn 1577.
After the earthquake of 1755, the building was rebuilt and expanded by D. Friar Lourenço de Santa Maria (1752-1783), with the hipped roofs and portal standing out in its design.
The interior presents, in its set of XNUMXth century tiles, the main element of its wealth, which starts right in the reception hall, extends through the staircase and continues in the three rooms on the first floor, revealing in all of them an enormous chromatic richness. Panels such as the one alluding to the theological virtue of Charity or the one alluding to the five virtues – Prudence, Faith, Hope, Justice and Strength – are some of the highlights.
Visitors will also be able to admire a set of canvases with some of the bishops of the Algarve, arranged in chronological order, whose action was most significant, since the transfer of the seat of the bishopric to Faro. The canvases on display cover the XNUMXth, XNUMXth, XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, most of them by an unknown author and others by painters such as Joaquim José Rasquinho and JP Gomes or Samora Barros.
In addition to these, other paintings from the sacred art collection of the Episcopal Palace, attributed to unknown authors and Marcelo Leopardi, will also be accessible, some with interrogated authors, namely Libório Guerini or Vieira Portuense.
Some small imaginary pieces from the Paço Episcopal collection complete this exhibition.
Visitors will be invited to contribute to the maintenance of the space and the restoration of the works on display. The Episcopal Palace of Faro it is one of the most representative buildings of Chã Architecture in the Algarve.
Comments