Portugal is one of the most Catholic countries in the world and the oldest nation/state in Europe, so it’s natural that many churches, convents and monasteries have been built. Even if some of these churches have origins in the Roman period or are transformed Mosques from the Arab occupation period (+- 700 to 1243), or even from the Middle-Age Romanesque style, they are now very influenced by the 15th and 16th Portuguese Gothic style called “Manuelino”.

The “Manuelino” replaced the natural elements (animals and plants) of the Gothic decoration for sea motifs, like ropes, fish and imaginary sea-monsters and is extremely delicate in the decorations. This happened because of the importance the sea expansion had in Portugal’s history and the extreme wealth brought by it, which allowed the remodelling of the old buildings.