Monastery of Santa Maria de Pombeiro
| Monastery of Santa Maria de Pombeiro (Mosteiro de Santa Maria) | |
| Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary | |
| Monastery (Mosteiro) | |
 |
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| Official name: Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Pombeiro | |
| Named for: Blessed Virgin Mary | |
| Country |  Portugal |
|---|---|
| Region | Norte |
| Sub-region | Tâmega |
| District | Porto |
| Municipality | Felgueiras |
| Location | Pombeiro de Ribavizela |
| - elevation | 190 m (623 ft) |
| - coordinates | 41°22′57.16″N 8°13′31.69″W / 41.3825444°N 8.2254694°WCoordinates: 41°22′57.16″N 8°13′31.69″W / 41.3825444°N 8.2254694°W |
| Length | 115.67 m (379 ft), Southwest-Northeast |
| Width | 74.18 m (243 ft), Southeast-Northwest |
| Architects | Jerónimo Luís, José de Santo António Vilaça, Humberto Vieira, Francisco António Solha |
| Style | Romanesque |
| Materials | Granite, Ceramic, Steel |
| Origin | c. 853 |
| - Initiated | 13 July 1059 |
| - Completion | 1102 |
| Papal permission | c. 853 |
| Owner | Portuguese Republic |
| For public | Private |
| Visitation | Closed (Mondays and on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December) |
| Easiest access | Lugar do Mosteiro |
| Management | Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico |
| Operator | Private |
| Winter | Friday to Sunday: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m, 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Summer | Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. |
| Status | National Monument |
| Listing | 16 June 1910; DG 136, 23 June 1910 |
The Monastery of Santa Maria de Pombeiro (Portuguese: Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Pombeiro), shortened to Monastery of Pombeiro, is a monastery in the civil parish of Pombeiro de Ribavizela, in the municipality of Felgueiras (district in Porto), in the northern region of Portugal.
The first reference to a monastery or religious institution came from a papel brief to Pope Leo IV (in 853). Its founding would not occur until 13 July 1059 by Dom Gomes Aciegas, and completed 1102; the remains of this original construction are two small chapels (below the main altar), the mail entrance door and the four fortified arches. It is still unclear on the precise period that monastery and church was founded. Ferdinand I of Castile granted the proprietoriship of the convent to his nephew D. Gomes de Cela Nova (progenitor of the Sousa family). From the Sousas, the monastery passed to the Melos and Sampaios (later under the protection of the Barbosa clan until the 11th century), represented by the Baron of Pombeiro de Ribavizela. At the time the abbot of Pombeiro functioned as the head almoner for the Kingdom, when the King travelled north of the Douro and ombudsman of the Count of Pombeiro.
In 1112, under Queen Teresa, the monastery was off-limits to most of its citizens, including the church.Afonso I of Portugal provided privileges and patronage in 1155 to the monastery and its prelate Gonçalo de Sousa. The abbot (Gonçalo de Sousa) would initiate remodelling and renovations in 1199. The monastery continued to be favoured by the monarchy, and throughout the 12th century a number of reliquaries were deposited in the altars of the Church.
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