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Built on
the site of a Benedictine Monastery, the
Igreja Santa Maria do Olival
has been altered dramatically over the years.
Reconstruction work in the 13th century gave the present
day church it's early gothic appearance.
There is a large Rose
window to the front elevation and there is a free
standing bell tower. The interior of
Igreja Santa Maria do Olival
is quite simple, with three naves covered by a wooden
roof. In the 16th century the church was restored once
more and additional chapels were added to the south
side.
In 2007 and 2008 due to the
construction of a new bridge (Ponte Flecheiro) across the
Rio Nabão,
adjacent to the
Igreja Santa Maria do Olival,
extensive archaeological excavations were carried out
around the church and it's bell tower. Teams of
archaeologists spend months combing through the dirt and
were rewarded with finding an extensive cemetery,
spanning 6,500 square metres. The cemetery contained up
to 3,400 burials, the largest find in Europe to date.
Archaeologists were able to
determine, due to the finds beside the graves, that all
had been interred in either the 13th or 14th century.
All the bones found were sent to the University of Evora
for further study.
Following the excavations
the area surrounding the
Igreja Santa Maria do Olival
and the bell tower have been pedestrianised to ensure
both will stand for another 850 years. |
