Dramatic constructions, monumental shapes and forms, and rapture of the senses are the formulas of the Baroque. Under the cultural and religious impulse of the Counter-Reformation, and after a long period during which the “estilo chão” (plain style) was popular, constructions now became very dramatic, the aim being to make those who saw them marvel at them, and affirm the spiritual or earthly domain. In the Algarve, and in Tavira in particular, the years of stability under King D. Pedro II and King D. João V, appear to have been marked by some development in the activity of the Third Orders, brotherhoods or sisterhoods fostering the proliferation and splendour of the churches and chapels that were built on their orders. In this context, artistic displays began to play an important role and their instrumental value in the service of religious ideals was consciously admitted. Tavira has an abundance of Baroque architecture, especially due to the works of Diogo Tavares e Ataíde (1711-1765), considered to be the Algarve’s greatest Baroque architect.