Church of Sâo Domingos (1576) has its origins in the convent of Santa Cruz founded by the Dominican Friar Bartolomeu dos Mártires (1514-1590), once the archbishop of Braga.
Bartolomeu dos Mártires is a famous prelate who took part in the Council of Trent (1545-1563) that opposed the 'heresies' of the Protestant Reformation and his statue, riding a donkey, stands in the square outside the church. In 1582, he received papal permission to resign as archbishop and retire to the convent in Viana do Castelo, where he lived largely in solitude for the remainder of his life.
The church is laid out with a single nave and transept in the Latin Cross style with chapels leading off to the sides.
The highlight of the ornate interior is the gilded, carved altar of Our Lady of the Rosary by José Alvares de Araújo dating from the late 18th century. Notice the finely rendered shells, flowers and volutes in the design that is a wonderful example of Portuguese Rococo.
The large interior of the church has a high, wooden ceiling done in pastel shades. Azulejos tile work depicting various Biblical scenes decorate the walls. The church contains several other ornate altars and chapels leading off from the nave. Above the main entrance is the organ reached by a dark, wooden staircase.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.