“At the expense of the men from the sea of this people this new temple was built, in the time when there were only a few huts”.
This is how the Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Olhão presents itself to tourists visiting the historic area, downtown, 1 minute from our hotel.
The construction of the Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, current Igreja Matriz de Olhão, began in 1698, opening for worship, still unfinished, in 1715, and the contract for the construction of its tower dates from 1722. It is said: “At the expense of the men from the sea of this people this new temple was built, in the time when there were only a few huts”. Due to its grandeur, it attracts many looks from tourists who visit the historic area of Olhão, downtown, where it is located.
In the second half of the 18th century, its main façade, one of the most impressive in the whole of the Algarve, was reformulated, with a triangular crowning. Inside, with a single nave and slightly protruding transept, there are five altars. The chancel has an altarpiece and triumphal arch in gilded woodwork, a ceiling decorated with a fresco and an image of Our Lady of the Rosary.
