Church of San Francisco, Viveiro, Gothic Catholic church in Viveiro, Spain
The Church of San Francisco is a Gothic Catholic building in Viveiro with a single nave arranged in Latin cross form and a pentagonal apse featuring five pointed windows. Inside, multiple altarpieces and chapels fill the space, including a Renaissance work from the Netherlands and an 18th-century Baroque creation.
Franciscan friars began construction of this religious building in the 13th century, with three original arches discovered during restoration work in the 1940s. These findings revealed elements of the earliest building phases and offered insights into the monastery's original structure.
The church keeps the tomb of the beata Constanza, daughter of the medieval marshal Pero Pardo de Cela, in the main nave. In the Third Order chapel, an 18th-century Baroque altarpiece centres on the Dolorosa, and processional groups are stored there. The sacristy holds the 14th-century Cristo de los Mareantes and display cases with relics of martyr saints.
The building stands in the historic center of Viveiro and functions as an active parish church with regular religious services. Visitors should keep in mind that opening hours align with worship activities and quiet behavior is expected during prayer times.
The main nave holds the tomb of Constanza, daughter of the medieval marshal Pero Pardo de Cela, and that of the poet Nicomedes Pastor Díaz. In the sacristy, a 14th-century altarpiece shows the Cristo de los Mareantes, and display cases keep relics of martyr saints.
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