Association les Amis de la Chapelle de Saint ‑Maclou

The Church of Madre de Deus (Mother of God) is part of the former convent of the same name, now the National Tile Museum.

The convent was founded by Queen Eleanor, sister of Manuel I and wife of John II.

The church follows the 16th-century Mannerist style, although the decoration, which harmoniously blends gilded carved wood, azulejos, and painting, is clearly Baroque.

The church’s tiles are Dutch in origin, having been installed in 1698. On the left side, you can see a panel depicting “Jehovah Calling Moses” by Willem van der Koet. On the right side, this time, we can admire a tile panel by Jan Van Oort, depicting a rural and courtly scene, highlighting the rigor of the design. At the base, there is a tile panel with putti and satires, a Portuguese work.

In the Chapter House, we can also admire compositions of model tiles, green enxcaquetado, and aresta, as well as a large altarpiece in gilded carved wood. At the entrance to the choir, we can see the panels of the 18th-century Chapel of Saint Anthony and the former nativity scene of the Convent, designed by António Ferreira.

In the upper choir, where the nuns attended mass, we can discreetly admire the Baroque decoration, including the stalls, reliquaries, gilded carved woodwork, the tile covering, and the portraits of John III and his wife, Catherine of Austria.

Text: Internet source