Situated in the south margin of Cávado River, at the little village of Areias de Vilar, lays the Convent of S. Salvador de Vilar de Frades, one of the oldest of the province. Its origins should date back to 6th century, according to Frei Leão de São Tomas, which points its existence, in a letter from a Benedictine monk, whom dates the foundation of the convent to the year of 566, by hand of Saint Martin of Dume. However, there’s no traces of that convent due to the Arab invasions. In the 11th century was edified a Monastery under the Benedictine Order. From the primitive construction, it only remains a splendid Romanesque portal, with three archivolts enriched with naturalist and geometric ornaments. In the 15th century, this space was handed to a new congregation, the Secular Clergyman, known as Loíos, whom establish in this place their mother-house. In the 16th century, began the Manueline expansion and reconstruction, sustained by the Archbishop of Braga, D. Diogo de Sousa. The renovation proceeded up until the 19th century, transforming it in a magnificent example of Manueline and Mannerist convent architecture. Its architecture is remarkable due to the church’s dome. The church presents a plant in latin cross, with one nave separated by five lateral chapels that are connected, and a main chapel, rectangular and of monumental dimensions. These characteristics are common of the 16th century. In the interior cloister, accessible through the convent reception, there’s a beautiful fountain from the beginning of the 17th century. According to Teotónio da Fonseca, the stonework and the considerable dimensions enhance the magnitude of the fountain, classified as National Monument in 1940. The Convent of S. Salvador de Vilar de Frades is one of the most magnificent convents in Minho region and is classified as National Monument since 1910.
