The Church of Saint Mary of Airães is an example of how Romanesque architectural features have lingered in time in the region of Tâmega and Sousa. The late aspect of the capitals of the main portal, as well as the frames and capitals of the apse, indicate that the Church must have been built at the end of the 13th century or early 14th century, though records of a church on this site date back to 1091.
Currently presenting three naves, from the ancient Romanesque construction, with a single nave, maintains the apse, covered by a broken barrel vault and the central body of the main façade.
At the base of the Church walls there are typically Roman cushioned ashlars [stone], which suggest the existence of an even older building on this site, possibly even of a primitive early Christian or Suevi-Visigoth church.
Inside the Church, notable sculptures include the polychromatic limestone image of Saint Mary, the Church’s patron saint, and a set of religious sculptures of the Modern Age, such as the decorative piece that houses a Rococo style nativity scene in the sacristy.
Location: Felgueiras
