Mexilhoeira Grande

The current baptismal font at the parish church of Mexilhoeira Grande is a composite object consisting of a hemispherical basin, plain except for a moulding at the upper rim, a cluster of four twisting columns serving as shaft and a round-ro-square moulded lower base. Simões (2005) notes that bishop D. Francisco Gomes de Avelar, on his visit of 10 September 1790, ordered several repairs to the church, among them that a new baptismal font be made deeming the existing one unsuitable [="que se fizesse uma nova pia baptismal, por considerar a que havia incapaz"]. Simões (ibid.), however, points out that the present baptismal font rests on a stem dating to the 16th century and that, although the bishop had ordered a replacement for the old font, it is quite possible that only the basin was replaced at that time [="é possível que a substituição apenas incidisse sobre a bacia"]. The same source (ibid.) notes that the amount of 17,200 réis was withdrawn from the church coffers on 10 March 1791 for expenses related to the baptismal font and the holy-water stoup mounted on the right pilar [NB: the amount was spent on both items and there is no breakdown of the cost of each, materials, labour, etc.]