The history of the parish of Matosinhos intertwines with that of the disappeared Monastery of Bouças where, for centuries, the image of Bom Jesus de Bouças was venerated. in the century In the 16th century, in view of the ruin of the monastery, the image was transferred to a new church that was built in the place of Matosinhos. Its construction began in 1542 on the initiative of the University of Coimbra to which King João III had granted the patronage of Matosinhos. To carry out this work, João de Ruão was initially hired, and the work was later completed by Tomé Velho.
in the century In the 18th century, the growing importance of devotion to Senhor de Bouças, particularly among those who demanded the lands of Brazil, led to the completion of major works to expand the primitive church, which were in charge of the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni and which gave it its configuration. current.
They stand out, in the century. At the end of the 18th century, the interventions by Luís Pereira da Costa, a famous 18th century woodcarver, to whom the remodeling and addition of the chancel and those by Nicolau Nasoni for the restoration of the church are due. The remarkable combination of volumes, structures and compositional details accentuate the scenographic aspect of the main façade, designed to accentuate the horizontality of the construction and the Baroque characteristics in the Nasonian style. The two bell towers, the broken pediment, the main door decorated with a medallion, in which a scallop shell is inserted, and the two side niches that contain the statues of St. Peter and St. Paul are to be admired. In the interior space, divided into three naves, the imposing main altar in gilded carving stands out, which includes in the central part a niche with an image of Christ crucified, attributed to the 12th century. It is a sculpture in hollow wood, about two meters high and extremely curious, given the symbolic asymmetry of the gaze, since the left eye is directed towards Heaven and the right towards Earth, in a clear symbiosis between God is the man.
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