Shoring the Nossa Senhora do Carmo church in Serpa

2009-11-02

The shoring and temporary roofing job for this church is almost finished. The work has been done by Stap, which has provided an installation of high technical quality, the most notable of its kind in our region to date. In reality, the building's locking system, meticulously designed and including a roof and rain drainage, is in itself a work of art that dignifies the way the Serpa community saw the protection of this monument.

The Municipal Council, to whom the Beja Diocese and the Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico entrusted the coordination of emergency measures for the Nossa Senhora do Carmo church, has closely monitored all the tasks related to the monument, including closing Rua da Cadeia Velha to traffic to avoid further damage caused by traffic movement.

We must remind our readers that this church, one of the finest examples of neoclassic architecture in the south of Portugal, has been at risk of collapse for several years, due to the shifting of part of its walls and corners and to the settling of the transept. In fact, the worst was feared, until a joint intervention by the Diocese, the State and the municipality allowed a solution to be found whereby the structure could be shored and temporarily covered. Now it is critical to design the preservation and restoration project quickly and do the necessary foundation work.