The Church of Santa María das Dores is the main parish church of the municipality of Lalín, located in Praza da Igrexa in the centre of the town and dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. Its construction responded to the need to replace the original chapel devoted to the same dedication, built in 1876 after the felling of the emblematic “Carballo de Manteiga” oak tree. That chapel eventually became too small as the town’s population and liturgical activity grew. The current church was built at the beginning of the 20th century, with construction starting in 1903 and the building inaugurated in 1919, after sixteen years of work supported by local community contributions.
Since its official blessing, the church has become the spiritual and social centre of the municipality. Inside, several altars stand out, including the one dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as the images associated with the devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, the patron saint of Lalín. The temple, built in an eclectic architectural style with historicist influences typical of the period, has three naves and a tower added later, serving both for regular worship and for major religious celebrations and patronal festivities.
Its location in Lalín’s main square makes it an important visual landmark of the town centre and a central place for the religious and social life of the community.
