User:J1013r18/Monastery of São Vicente de Fora

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The present buildings are the result of a reconstruction ordered by King Philip II of Spain, who had become King of Portugal (as Philip I) after a succession crisis in 1580. The church of the monastery was built between 1582 and 1629, while other monastery buildings were finished only in the 18th century. The author of the design of the church is thought to be the Italian Jesuit Filippo Terzi and/or the Spaniard Juan de Herrera. The plans were followed and modified by Leonardo Turriano, Baltazar Álvares, Pedro Nunes Tinoco and João Nunes Tinoco. In 1755, an earthquake hit Lisbon, causing damage to the church which then needed reconstruction  The beautiful main altarpiece is a Baroque work of the 18th century by one of the best Portuguese sculptors, Joaquim Machado de Castro. It has the shape of a baldachin and is decorated with a large number of statues. The church also boasts several fine altarpieces in the lateral chapels. '''Within the monastery are ceramic tiles formed into panels that depict several different scenes. The ceramic tiles that were created are called azulejo. The tiles were created and painted for the monastery during two separate periods established by Santos Simoes. The first period was from 1700 until 1725 and was called the "great painting period," during King Joao V's reign. The second period was called "the great production period," which lasted from 1725 until 1755. The scenes range from life in the countryside, hunting, and even noble amusement. In total, there are over 150 different panels and scenes within the monastery. '''