Igreja de Santa Maria do Bispo

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Located in the western sector of the Castle of Montemor-o-Novo, the Church of Saint Mary of the Bishop will have established itself at the beginning of the 14th century. The first documentary reference that mentions it dates back to 1321, specifically in the list of churches ordered by King Dinis, when the village of Montemor-o-Novo was still mostly located inside the walled perimeter. At one time a majestic building with three naves and fourteen columns, today only the ruins of its magnificent Manueline portal and the chapels at the head remain from the Church of Saint Mary of the Bishop. In 1524, more than two centuries after the completion of the initial architectural construction work, a new campaign of works began at a time when the suburb of the village was starting to gain economic strength. During the reign of King John III, this construction campaign involved almost complete reconstruction of the Church of Saint Mary of the Bishop in the renovating Manueline style.