Church of Nossa Senhora da Victoria
AngolaMinisterio da Cultura Instituto Nacional do Patrimonio Cultural
Word FileDisclaimer
The Secretariat of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Heritage Centre do not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information or documentation provided by the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to the Secretariat of UNESCO or to the World Heritage Centre.
The publication of any such advice, opinion, statement or other information documentation on the World Heritage Centre’s website and/or on working documents also does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of UNESCO or of the World Heritage Centre concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its boundaries.
Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party
Description
The church of "Nossa Senhora da Victoria" is placed in Massanganu, Province of Kwanza-Norte. This church was the first building outside of the, at that time, village of S. Paulo (Luanda). Its building lasted approximately 7 years, probably between 1583 and 1590. Massanganu was used as a Center of Trade and of military operations in the interior of the Country. It was also used as a religious Center having been elevated to Seat of ecclesiastic Government, between 1641 and 1648, during the netherlander occupation of Luanda. Like many others churches, the Church of Massanganu had some slaves, and it was the local where a lot of them was baptized, or, it was the local where they christianized the black people captured in the Factories (Feitorias) and in the wars organized by the portugueses in order to obtain a bigger number of slaves. It was classified as National Monument by Provincial Decret n. 81, 28 of April of 1928.