Igreja da Misericórdia - Porto

The Igreja da Misericórdia do Porto is located on the historic Rua das Flores in downtown Porto. The church does not stand alone but is instead sandwiched between the offices and shops that line this typical Porto street.

Originally built in the 16th century the church's facade was redesigned by Northern Portugal's favourite Baroque architect, the Italian Nicolau Nasoni. He was responsible for designing a number of buildings in the city including the Clerigos tower and church, and the cathedral. Nasoni is perhaps best known however for the Mateus Palace in Vila Real which has adorned bottles of Mateus Rose for the last 100 years.

Attached to the historic Misericórdia church is the Misericórdia museum which has a collection including many 15th century artworks and artifacts. Most notable of these is the somewhat macabre Renaissance Flemish painting - Fons Vitae (the Fountain of Life). This artwork depicts Portuguese king Dom Manuel I and his wife, Leonor, kneeling before a fountain of blood from the crucified Christ.The museum also takes in the church's azulejo clad interior.