Church of the Virgin Peregrina Igrexa da Virxe Pereg

Church of the Virgin Peregrina Igrexa da Virxe Peregrina Praza da Peregrina, 5, 36001 Pontevedra The Church of the Pilgrim Virgin is a religious building located in the city of Pontevedra in Galicia (Spain). It is composed of a scallop-shaped chapel located at the foot of the Camino de Santiago in Portugal. It began to be built in 1778 and is one of the most symbolic and relevant buildings in the city of Pontevedra. It is dedicated to the Virgin, who, according to tradition, guides the pilgrims from Bayonne to Santiago. The church houses the statue of the Virgin Peregrina (Virxe da Peregrina, 19th century), who is the patron saint of the province of Pontevedra and also the guardian of the Portuguese Way. It was declared a historical-artistic monument in 1982, merging late Baroque and Neoclassical forms, such as the main altarpiece built in 1789. The inspiration for its floor plan comes from the scallop shell, a typical symbol of the pilgrim, with a cross at the end. This circular shape is related to the type prevalent in Portuguese temples at the time. Admiral Casto Méndez Núñez donated a huge Tridacna shell, which he brought back from the Pacific on one of his many voyages, and it is located at the entrance of the church, serving as a stoup. The clock on the north tower was installed in 1896, from the now demolished Hospital of San Juan de Dios. The church also installed the hospital's bell. The first restoration of the temple took place in 1981, to repair serious structural damage (large cracks in the building due to foundation movement). It was carried out by César Portela and José Bar Boo. The second most important restoration work took place in 2008, repairing elements such as stained glass windows, walls, paintings and the clock tower. This is a centrally planned church. The inspiration for its floor plan comes from the scallop shell, a characteristic symbol of the pilgrim, with a cross engraved inside the shell. The floor plan is circular, but by including the foyer, it presents the shape of a scallop shell. The circular hall that makes up the temple itself is made up of four grooved wall pillars, supporting low front arches, with protruding cornices above. Above it stands a dome with a crescent and a lantern. It has a dome, a lantern and a dome. Inside the temple, the rectangular presbytery is covered by a groin vault. The main altarpiece is in the Neoclassical style, made in imitation of the style of Melchor de Prado in 1789, although it was modified by his brothers Manuel Gambino and Juan Pernas Gambino. Its ending is a gable wall, with a relief of the Flight into Egypt and the image of the Pilgrim Virgin, holding the Infant Jesus in her arms, both dressed in cloaks, holding the pilgrim's staff and carrying a gourd. The painting of Santa Clara by Polanco and the replica of the Roman Madonna of San Onofre by Peruzzi stand out. Also noteworthy is the stoup of the nave, decorated with the Tridacna shell brought from the Pacific by Méndez Núñez. The main facade was completed by Antonio Souto and Bernardo José de Mier, in front of which is a courtyard with stairs, surrounded by a balustrade with pinnacles. At the foot of the stairs is a fountain, topped by a sculpture of Teucer. The courtyard and fountain in front of the church form a unique and beautiful urban complex. The Baroque facade is convex, with two bodies. The lower one is decorated with pilasters, the upper one with Corinthian columns, topped by a house, with the image of the Mother of the Pilgrims, the patron saint of the province of Pontevedra, in the niche, and the images of Santiago and San Roque in the niches on either side. The three are dressed as pilgrims. The niche has a scallop-shaped vault and is decorated with earlobes. At the top is a split pediment, in the centre of which is a sculpture symbolising the image of faith; on either side stand two equal towers, giving the temple a strange slender, elegant and solemn appearance. The lower half has a large semicircular doorway, the lintel separates the door, above the lintel are three upper gable windows, the centre one is triangular, the sides are curved. Pontevedra, Pontevedra Province