The Church of the Saviour of Unhão is an excellent example of Portuguese Romanesque architecture and sculpture, highlighting the main portal with its botanic decorated capitals.
Despite the transformations it has undergone throughout the years, the inscription that marks the Dedication of the Church [consecration and beginning of services at the church] on 28th January 1165, celebrated by the archbishop of Braga, D. João Peculiar, has been preserved.
The reference to "Magister Sisaldis" and the existence of a series of initials (marks of the mason) with a big “S” seem to indicate the name of the master artisan who oversaw the work, a rare element in the panorama of Portuguese Romanesque architecture.
The Church of Unhão maintains its Romanesque nave, built in the first half of the 13th century.
Inside, the image of Our Lady of the Milk, a sculpture in polychromatic limestone of unknown origin, stands out. The absence of movement in the image, the size of the head and hands and her fixed, blank stare suggest that this is a Romanesque sculpture. However, the fact that the Son is represented as a child, naked and gazing at the Madonna, is a feature more common of the Gothic style.
Location: Felgueiras
