Misericórdia's Church
The history of the construction, in the 16th century, of the Misericórdia’s main building is yet to be achieved, since the documents of the Brotherhood present no information on the subject. The name of the architect responsible for the sketch and the artists in charge of the construction remain unknown. This situation, which is similar to much of the history of the heritage of Vila Real, will practically be the same during the 17th and the 18th centuries. In this section we analyse the information gathered from historical sources about the origins and the work done over time in the building, the acquisition and maintenance of the most varied pieces necessary to the functions of the Church, to the organization of the House of Dispatch and to the Institution itself, then to describe what can be seen at present, when one visits the building.