Convento de São Francisco, Portimão, 16th-century Franciscan monastery ruins in Portimão, Portugal.
The Convento de São Francisco is a two-storey complex of interconnected buildings on the west bank of the Arade, comprising a single-nave church with a rectangular chancel and square narthex, a Mannerist cloister with fourteen round arches on square pillars, a chapter room with a Manueline portal, dormitories and a refectory.
The convent began in 1530 when Simão Correia, captain of Azamor, gave buildings and land by the Arade River to the Observant Franciscans. It lost its religious function in the 19th century, when it was sold to private owners, and was later used as a cork depot and a warehouse for the canning industry before falling into disrepair. It was classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1993.
The church, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Esperança, drew particular devotion from Portimão's sailors and fishermen, according to Pinho Leal. A porch sheltered the grave of Friar António de Silves, whose tombstone recorded that he died of the plague he caught while tending the sick.
The convent stands on the west bank of the Arade, near the river mouth and the port, beside the Municipal Museum of Portimão. It is privately owned and not open to the public, so visitors can only view the exterior from the street. The buildings are best seen from the riverfront, where cruise passengers first spot them.
The circular jasper coat of arms of Simão Correia, framed by a braided vegetal cord, was originally set above the church doors; it is now kept at the Municipal Museum of Portimão. Pinho Leal also recorded a coat of arms of D. Baltazar de Melo da Cunha and his wife D. Beatriz de Almada on the chancel arch.
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