Travanca - São Salvador

São Salvador is a parish church today. Erected in the 13th century it was the church of the adjoining Benedictine monastery, founded mid 11th century.

The church dates back to the late 12th/ early 13th century. Graf, Mattoso, and Real, authors of "Portugal Roman", connect the founding of the monastery to the descendents of Munio Viegas o Gasco, a fighter against the Saracens. They claim, that where the church is now, once was a mosque. The convent existed upto 1834 - and the buildings now serve different institutions.

Unfortunately the church was under reconstruction, when I visited. I could peep over the fences, but only enter the three nave basilica a few steps, as the interior was filled with scaffoldings - and the workers did not like visitors on the site.