Igreja de São Francisco Audio Guide
Explore Igreja de São Francisco with Stanza's GPS-triggered offline audio guide.
About the Tour
This Gothic church is renowned for its elaborate and opulent 18th-century Baroque wood carvings covered in gold leaf. It is a National Monument and one of the most significant historical religious buildings in Porto.
What you will hear
The Gilded Nave
Stepping inside, the visitor is overwhelmed by the 'Talha Dourada', where nearly every surface is covered in gold leaf.
Vaults of Gold
High above the floor, the original Gothic rib vaults are entirely encased in a layer of intricately carved wood and 22-carat gold.
The Main Altar
The spiritual heart of the church features the most concentrated and elaborate examples of 18th-century wood carving.
The High Altar
The main altar stands at the end of the central nave, serving as the spiritual climax and a masterpiece of Baroque theatricality.
The Tree of Jesse Altarpiece
This masterpiece of polychromed wood carving is one of the church's most famous and significant works of art.
Genealogy of Kings
The individual figures within the Tree of Jesse served as a visual Bible, teaching complex history and theology through dramatic art.
The Franciscan Complex and Palácio da Bolsa
The tour concludes by looking at the broader Franciscan site, including the museum and the adjacent palace built on the ruins of the cloisters.
Church of the Third Order
Standing next to the Gothic church, this Neoclassical building served the lay members of the Franciscan order during the 18th century.
Stock Exchange Palace
This massive palace next door marks a transition from religious to commercial power, built on the site of the church’s former cloisters.
Want to hear the rest?
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