Despite being profoundly altered by reconstructions carried out over the centuries of its existence, the Church of São Gens is a reference in terms of Romanesque art. Once an important monastery of the religious of São Bento, it stood out as the religious institution that acquired the most power in the space of the current municipality of Fafe during the Middle Ages. The presence of an inscription on the south side wall dating from the year 1091 indicates that the construction of the church would be completely finished around the end of the 11th century.

The Church of São Gens has several Romanesque elements from its primitive structure, among which stands out a typically Romanesque portal, ennobled and decorated with zoomorphic and vegetative elements on the upper end of the colonnades. In addition to the many initials and inscriptions and other architectural elements present throughout the temple, a closer look reveals a curious anthropomorphic dog integrated into the cornice at the end of the south façade. Inside, it is the transept arch that separates the nave from the chancel that stands out the most, with its Romanesque voussoirs richly worked and decorated with intertwined plant motifs and animals (birds), still showing traces of painting. In the churchyard it is possible to observe some inscribed and decorated medieval tomb covers. Over the door of the mortuary chapel appears another tomb cover reused on the wall of the building.

At the back of the temple, on a huge granite batholith, stands a bell tower of considerable dimensions, giving the set unusual characteristics in the region.

source: https://www.cm-fafe.pt/artigo/igreja-torreao-e-necropoles-de-s-gens