Built on the right bank of the river Tâmega, at the entrance of the now missing bridge of Canaveses, the Church of Sobretâmega was founded after 1320 and seems to have replaced another temple, whose patron was Saint Peter. It should be understood within this framework and in its close relationship with the Church of Saint Nicholas of Canaveses (Marco de Canaveses), on the other riverbank, so close by and with a very similar structure.
Its portals attest to the late chronology, given the absence of columns and capitals. In the main portal, only the corbels [salient support stones] adorned with pearls show the permanence of a Romanesque motif which was often used in the basins of the Tâmega and Douro. This portal would be sheltered by a porch [attached cover], as the remaining corbels reveal. The bell tower stands isolated to the north of the chevet.
Of modest dimensions, it has been subjected to deep changes in Modern Era, namely at the level of the arrangement of the triumphal arch with pilasters and intradorsum pads. In the chancel, the whitewashed interior houses a gilded altarpiece of “National style”. It is also worth mentioning the limestone image dedicated to the patron saint, which represents the Marian cult established in this temple since the 14th century.
Location: Marco de Canaveses
