OLIVEIRA, Mateus Vicente de - b. 1706 Barcarena, d. 1785 Lisboa - WGA

OLIVEIRA, Mateus Vicente de

(b. 1706 Barcarena, d. 1785 Lisboa)

Portuguese architect. He studied under the architects Joao Frederico Ludovice (1670-1752) and Jean Baptiste Robillon (died 1782) during the construction of the royal palace at Mafra - Portugal’s attempt to rival the Spanish king’s palace at Escorial. He adopted Ludovice’s grand manner, and then evolved a much more exquisite style, of which the Palácio Nacional, Queluz, near Lisbon (1747-52), is a good example, with its swagged and garlanded window-heads. It was completed by Robillon who also designed the gardens.

In 1779 he began work on the Basílica da Estrela in Lisbon, this church was incomplete at the time of de Oliveira’s death and work continued under the direction of Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos, who was responsible for much of the classical details of the church’s exterior, but the blueprint of the church is credited to de Oliveira.

Exterior view

The greatest church built in the period following the Great Earthquake was the Basilica da Estrela. It was built in an exceptionally prominent position in Lisbon between 1779 and 1792 by Mateus Vicente de Oliveira and Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos. This massive domed building is a votive church endowed by Maria I on the occasion of the birth of an heir to the throne. It expresses all the pomp of the era of João V, it is, moreover a smaller version of the gigantic, monastic residence at Mafra, which was never completed. The majestic interior with its superb finishing makes it one of the great achievements of Portuguese art.

The church was incomplete at the time of de Oliveira’s death and work continued under the direction of dos Santos, who was responsible for much of the classical detail of the church’s exterior, but the blueprint of the church is credited to de Oliveira.

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Interior view

The church was incomplete at the time of de Oliveira’s death and work continued under the direction of Dos Santos, who was responsible for much of the classical details of the church’s exterior, but the blueprint of the church is credited to de Oliveira.

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