Weddings

With 1200m2, the 14th century Santa Maria do Espinheiro Church is the ideal place for your religious ceremony.

H I S T O R Y

The origins of the Convento do Espinheiro are connected to a legend that tells of an apparition of the Virgin Mary above a thornbush (= espinheiro) around the year 1400. In 1412, an oratory was built in honour of Our Lady and finally in 1458, during the reign of King Afonso V, due to increasing pilgrimage, Bishop D. Vasco de Perdigão ordered the building of a church and convent which was settled by monks of the Order of St. Jerónimo.

During the 15th and 16th century, this convent was frequently visited by the Portuguese monarchs who, as a result of an enormous devotion to the Virgin, granted the convent countless valuable gifts. King Afonso V, for example, when leaving for the East Coast of Africa, made a promise to Our Lady of Espinheiro to help him in battle. As a result of his victory, he made Her an offer of a silver statue which represented himself on horse-back.

Whilst making a general appreciation of the presence of the Convento do Espinheiro in the history of Portugal, one can say, not without a touch of emotion, that these stones that contemplate us today in the solitude of the plains were once witness to the passage of many illustrious figures. Kings, queens, great men and great ladies of the court, due to their devotion and generosity, contributed to the magnificence of this convent which will always be indissolubly connected to the life of the Court.

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The emblematic Manueline Cloister is today the ideal stage for a civil ceremony. Intended primarily for the isolation of the monastic community, it was a pleasant and serene place that allowed the prayer, meditation and recreation of the monks of the order of St. Jerome.

The Orange Garden is a place that brings together the perfect symbiosis between nature and the ecclesiastical. In our “Laranjal”, you can enjoy sensory experiences in a more reserved place.

Spaces that stand out for their uniqueness and that speak to ourselves, both the Cloisters and the Orange Garden are spaces of contemplation, different in themselves, one with a Renaissance architecture and the Orange garden is a perfect example of a combination of Nature and the singular architecture of space.

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The Manueline cloisters, the D. Sebastião square or our gardens are an asset for the couple to fraternize with the guests during the cocktail, are the perfect stage for such an important event.

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