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Visit the

Main Church
of Cheleiros

Mafra

 (…). Baltasar had not been long in his new job when he was told that he was being sent to Pêro Pinheiro to collect an enormous stone that was intended for the pórtico of the church, the stone was so huge that it was estimated to require some two hundred yoke of oxen to transport it, as well as hordes of men to assist with the job. (…). 

 (…). Tomorrow, before sunrise, the stone will recommence its journey, one man has been left behind in Cheleiros for burial, and the carcasses of two oxen for eating. (…). 

(…). The jouney from Pêro Pinheiro to Mafra took eight whole days. (…). 

Cheleiros Main Church and Cross

Referred to in the reign of King Alfonso II (13th century), the church was the subject to multiple construction campaigns, the oldest being in the transition to the 14th century, where the main portal fits. The incorporation of Roman and Paleo- Christian materials into its walls suggests the existence of a Roman villa in the area. The main transformation occurred in the Manueline era, under the aegis family Ataíde, responsible for the construction of a new chancel, where the armillary sphere, King Manuel’s emblem and the weapons of the benefactors are displayed. It was classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1934. The cross in the churchyard was transferred in the 20th century, from the road, which accessed Carvalhal to the churchyard, and has the particularity of having a torso shaft.

Square and Old Townhouses

Heart of the old village, this square concentrated the bulk of the public buildings of the extinct county seat. The Town Hall dominated the west sector, facing the square and consisted of two floors. The construction of the Chamber Houses (room/hearings and jail) obtained royal authorization in 1831, leaving the municipal senate to meet in a private house and transport the prisoners to the jail of the village of Mafra. In the centre of the square stood the pillory, dismantled in the nineteenth century and currently displaying only the shaft as an original element. It was classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1933.

Manueline Cross

Built in the first half of the 16th century, it is part of the architectural and decorative program of the village carried out during the rule of the Ataíde family. It stands on a small square on a steep slope, which determined the construction of an uneven platform. The base is octave and the cross is widely decorated with plant motifs, an engraved stone circle connects the arms.

Fontain

The nineteenth-century fountain illustrates a time when the inhabitants had the Casa do Infantado as benefactor, having transitioned to it due to lack of descent from the Ataíde family. Built in 1833, as revealed by the commemorative inscription on the backrest, associated with the royal coat of arms, it received a first restoration in 1895.