Name: Igreja dos Clerigos

Location: Porto, Portugal

Architect: Nicolau Nasoni

Groundbreaking: 1732

Completed: 1750

Igreja dos Clerigos or The Clerigos Church means Church of the Clergymen located in Porto City Portugal. The architect of this church is Nicolau Nasoni, are an architect and a painter. He became a member of the Brotherhood of Clergyman. At the end of his life, by his request, he buried inside the Clérigos Church. Until today, nobody knows where is he was buried. The church built for the Brotherhood of the Clerigos.

History of The Clerics Brotherhood began in 1642. Start with Fraternity of Our Lady of Poor Clerics was established in Porto. In year 1654 at the building of the Brotherhood of St. Peter ad Vincula. And in year 1666, at the foundation of the Congregation of St. Philip Néri.

The seat of Three Brotherhoods was at the Church of Mercy. Despite their differences, their mission was to help members of the clergy in situations of sickness, poverty and death. Resolute in maintaining this mission, and ensuring the survival of the brotherhoods, which depended on the number of clerics and financial stability, they decided to merge the brotherhoods. On April 18, 1707, they decided to establish the Fraternity of Our Lady of Mercy, St. Peter ad Vincula and St. Philip Neri, now called Brotherhood of the Clerics.

Later, they designed a new symbol, a coat of arm to identify the Brotherhood, all its assets and documents. And in the year 1731, they decided that they should build a proper structure of church since the new Brotherhood continued to gather at the Church Of Mercy. As a result, from the union of these three fraternities, the coat of arms combines the monogram of Mary (AM), the keys and the papal tiara of St. Peter, and the lily of St. Philip Néri. On March 28, 1748, the Fraternity of Our Lady of Mercy, St. Peter ad Vincula and St. Philip Néri, definitively moved to its headquarters: the Church of the Clerics.

The Clérigos Church was one of the first Baroque churches in Portugal to adopt a typical baroque elliptic floorplan. Church Construction began in 1732 and was finished in 1750, while the bell tower and the monumental tower which divided the stairway in front of the church were completed in 1763.

The church and the tower marked the city's urban configuration, located on an uneven street, but brilliantly used by Nicolau Nasoni, who managed to create a landmark building. The façade of the church is decorated with baroque motifs and an indented broken pediment inspired by an early 17th-century Roman scheme—a central frieze above the windows presents symbols of worship and an incense boat.

The lateral façades reveal the almost elliptic floorplan of the church nave. The altarpiece of the main chapel, made of polychromed marble, was executed by Manuel dos Santos Porto. The Baroque decoration here also shows influence from the Roman Baroque, while Tuscan campaniles inspired the whole design.

The tower is 75.6 meters high, dominating the city. There are 240 steps to be climbed to reach the top of its six floors. This magnificent structure has become the icon of the town.

References: 

Brotherhood History | Clérigos Tower. http://www.torredosclerigos.pt

Clérigos Church - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/