Chapel of São Frutuoso

São Frutuoso de Montélios is a relatively tiny ( about 14 × 14 m) is to enter Visigothic ecclesiastical architecture from the 7th century AD, the only by the Church of São Francisco ( 18th century). The ensemble is situated in the suburb of the city of Braga in Portugal Real.

The late Visigothic church is named after Saint Fructuosus, which is about 653 AD in Dume, north of Braga settled. Until his death in 665, he was a follower of Saint Martin Abbot-Bishop of the local monastery and from 656 at the same time Metropolitan District Braga.

The church is his mausoleum. Fructuosus biography identifies him as the founder of a (next Dume ) further Convention, where he was also buried. In the 9th century, the monastery founded by him was expressly assigned the Salvator patronage and the toponym Montélios. Another indication is the small, dark, little suitable for church building, with a popular floor plan with Memorialbauten. It consists of a cross with three equal length, just outside, inside apsidenartig final, windowless arms. In the center of the outer wall of the Ostarmes is the arc-shaped burial niche in which Fructuosus his final resting must have found because funerals were prohibited inside the church at the time. The whole thing is served by a rectangular vestibule.

The building belongs to a group of outstanding Latin - Visigothic cube architectures, one for Visigoths typical, but applied only on the Iberian Peninsula construction, in this case, apparently with rubble stone filling. He takes architecturally together with three northern Spanish churches a top position, although he was perhaps a subject from 1931 to extensive restoration. The relationship of the monument with the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, a brick building of the 5th century, is clear. However, large differences exist in the interior design and the material.

The facades are visually stimulated by elevated Lisenenstreifen and narrow encircling friezes. Accents the roof and Giebelgesimse and a frieze of peak and horseshoe - blind arches at the crossing.

This exclusivity becomes even stronger forth inside. In all arms of the cross there was outside edge or separately placed rows of columns that supported small side arches. Four arches, each with two columns and three horseshoe arches form the front of the arms and the vestibule and separate the domed center square from. These supports are partly to ancient spolia.