Antonio Miguel Estévez Estévez
A worthwhile detour
During our road trip through Mértola and Alentejo, we visited the Church of the Ascension, located next to the castle, whose structure is part of the ancient Islamic mosque and which was rebuilt in the twelfth century in the same place, after the conquest of the city by Sancho II of Portugal in 1238. The geostrategic position of the town of Mértola near the river Guadiana, explains the mix of defensive structures, both civil and religious that are apparent in the city. From the outside, its white walls, conical pinnacles, buttresses and battlements, which give the building a unique and robust feeling, all call the attention of the visitor.
These aspects blend local art and Islamic art. The interior consists of five ships that make up a floor in the shape of a 'T' and thus resembles other mosques such as Madinat al-Zahra and Tinmal (Morocco). The ships are separated by stone columns supporting shafts and plain-pointed arches which in turn support a dome that covers the ships. The interior layout, which is composed of vaults, arches and columns, is the result of the sixteenth century Christian changes, in Gothic and Portuguese Renaissance styles.
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