Igreja de São Bento da Vitória, Porto

Igreja de São Bento da Vitória belongs to a Benedictine monastic complex on Porto’s Morro do Olival. Its foundations went down in the late sixteenth century, on ground previously occupied by the Olival Jewish quarter, and the whole undertaking took about a century to finish, reaching completion in 1707. The church was designed by Diogo Marques Lucas, a pupil of the Italian architect Filipe Terzio.

Its architecture follows a classical language transformed by the Counter-Reformation, aiming for a firm, measured balance rather than flamboyance. This was not always a quiet religious precinct. During the Peninsular War, French invading forces occupied part of the monastery; Portuguese forces used it afterward, and it became a military hospital.

It later served as a barracks as well. In 1995, part of the former monastery became home to the District Archive, and the Porto Orchestra arrived later. The church and convent are now recognized as a National Monument.