In 1707, the Bishop of Braga D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles ordered the laying of the first stone of a convent of Benedictine nuns, thus obeying the request of King D. João V to fulfill the wish of his father D. Pedro. II. So says an inscription on the wall next to the portal.

The exterior of the Church of Nossa Senhora do Terço is very sober and simple, but the interior reveals one of the best examples of Portuguese baroque, with the harmonious combination of painting, tiles and carvings.

The wooden coffered ceiling and the tile panels that completely cover the body of the church, painted in 1713 by the master António de Oliveira Bernardes, show a rich iconography on the life of São Bento. In the main chapel, P.M.P., another baroque tile master, signed two panels that tell the story of the foundation of the monument and the entrance of the first nun to the convent.

Also noteworthy are the works on the canopied pulpit attributed to Gabriel Rodrigues Álvares and the gilded altars attributed to Ambrósio Coelho, which complete the church’s decorative program of recognized quality.