Our Lady of Placeres Church Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Our Lady of Placeres Church
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Placeres
Façade of the church
42°24′19.08″N 8°40′59.88″W / 42.4053000°N 8.6833000°W / 42.4053000; -8.6833000
Location	Pontevedra, Galicia
Country	Spain
Denomination	Catholic Church
History
Consecrated	1888
Architecture
Groundbreaking	1887
Completed	1888
Administration
Archdiocese	Santiago de Compostela

The Our Lady of Placeres Church (also known as Igrexa da Nosa Señora dos Praceres in Galician) is a beautiful Catholic church located in Lourizán, a part of Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. This church was built a long time ago, at the end of the 1800s. It has a special look called neo-Gothic style, which means it was designed to look like old Gothic churches. It stands where an even older small chapel used to be, right near the harbor entrance.

History of the Church
Church Design and Features
Gallery
See also

History of the Church

Why Sailors Honored Our Lady of Placeres

People have honored Our Lady of Placeres in this spot since the Middle Ages. This was because the area was quite dangerous for sailors. A lantern here warned ships and showed them the official waters of Pontevedra. Sailors believed Our Lady of Placeres helped them safely cross the tricky sandbar at the port entrance.

How the Virgin Mary Protected Pontevedra

There's a famous story about the English corsair Francis Drake. His troops tried to cross this sandbar in Lourizán but could not. The people of Pontevedra saw this as a sign. They believed the Virgin Mary herself protected their city from Drake's attack.

Building the New Church

In the 1880s, the old church was falling apart. Marcial Sineiro, the local priest, asked the city and the archbishop for help. They said no because they didn't have enough money. So, the priest and the neighbors asked Eugenio Montero Ríos for help. He was a powerful member of the Spanish Parliament.

Montero Ríos spoke to the government and even gave some of his own land near the sandbar. The famous architect Domingo Sesmero was chosen to design the church. The building project cost more than 72,000 pesetas, which was a lot of money back then.

When the Church Was Built

The first stone of the church was placed on May 10, 1887. The building work finished quickly, on November 19, 1888. Because Eugenio Montero Ríos helped so much, he and his wife, Avelina Villegas Budiños, are buried inside the church. Their tomb is in a chapel next to the altar of Our Lady of Placeres.

Church Design and Features

Neo-Gothic Style and Tower

The Our Lady of Placeres Church is built in the neo-Gothic style. This means it looks like the grand Gothic churches from long ago, especially the "Flamboyant" Gothic style. It is made of strong granite stone. The church has a tall central tower that reaches 33 meters high.

Inside the Church

The church's floor plan is shaped like a Latin cross. It has one large main room, called a nave. There are also two smaller chapels near the back, which is shaped like half of a ten-sided polygon (called an apse). The nave has special arched ceilings called Groin vaults. It is divided into three rectangular parts by rounded arches.

The inside of the church has Gothic decorations. You can see three white marble slabs with special messages. These messages honor King Alfonso XIII, who was king when the church was built. They also honor the Prime Minister, Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, and the important Galician leader, Eugenio Montero Ríos.

The Main Entrance

The front of the church, called the main façade, has tall Buttresses. These are supports that stick out from the walls. The top of the façade ends in a pointy Gothic spire. The main entrance door has two broken arches around it, called archivolts. Above and to the sides of the door are narrow, tall windows with pointed arches. Above the central window, there is a round rose window shaped like a four-petal flower.

Church Orientation

Usually, churches face west, towards the sea. However, this church's main entrance and floor plan face east. This is the opposite direction of what is common for churches facing the sea and the ria de Pontevedra.