Convento de Montariol, Braga

The Montariol Church is a church belonging to the Montariol Seminary in Braga, Portugal.

The church is built on top of Mount Calvelo and is one of the city's viewpoints.

The property was bought by the Society of Jesus, to build their Training House there in 1562. After the Expulsion of the Jesuits from Portugal, it was sold by the State to the father of the Viscount of Montariol, passing from him to his son, the Viscount of Negrelos, and remained in its possession until 1890.

In 1890 it was bought at public auction by the Franciscans, who established a college and a seminary there. To this end they renovated the church and other facilities. Master Guilherme Pereira, Domingos Pereira's father, was in charge of the works.

The restoration work began on May 5, 1891, and on September 27 of the same year it was blessed by Archbishop D. António José de Freitas Honorato.

The Franciscan Congregation remained in Montariol until 1911, year in which by the law of separation of April, they had to abandon the convent, which passed into the possession of the State, having installed there a Cavalry Regiment. By the Concordat of 1940, between the Holy See and the Portuguese State, the entire complex was returned to the Church and once again installed in its convent, the Franciscan Order.

The austere facade bears the coat of arms of the Order of Saint Francis, and a niche with an image of Our Lady, under the invocation of Refuge of Sinners. The interior has several altars decorated with carved woodwork, in a late Neo-Classical style.

The church was remodeled and opened on December 21, 2003. New windows were put in and it was completely painted. Inside, the altars, the wind guard, the presbytery, the ceiling of the chancel and the body of the church, the high choir and the pipe organ were restored. A five-meter high wooden image of Christ was placed on the main altar.

At Christmas time, the Montariol Church hosts the oldest busy nativity scene in the city of Braga. Its assembly, as well as the conservation of the estate, has been entrusted, since 1993, to the National Scout Corps Grouping n. 660 of Montariol.