Monastery Of Saint Mary Of Salzedas

The Monastery of Saint Mary of Salzedas is located in Tarouca, Viseu, and its construction began in 1168. At the time, it was one of the largest monasteries of the Cistercian Order in Portugal.

It was greatly expanded in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. It was once one of the richest Portuguese monasteries and had a remarkable library.

After 1834, the church was converted into a parish church and part of the monastic buildings were sold to private individuals. The building was the target of looting and pillaging and a fire broke out in 1841. In 2002, under a protocol with the Diocese of Lamego, the Portuguese state began the progressive restoration of the buildings and the estate.

Its inclusion in the Varosa Valley Project in 2009, along with two other monuments (the Monastery of São João de Tarouca and the Convent of Santo António de Ferreirim), made it possible to open the space to the public in October 2011. Here you can still visit the museum center and the exhibition “Fragmentos. Expressions of Religious Art from the Monastery of Santa Maria de Salzedas”.

It was classified as a National Monument in 1997.