Church of Saint James the Great (Estômbar)  The Church of Saint James the Great () is the principal church, in the civil parish of Estômbar in the municipality of Lagoa in the Algarve. Situated in the heart of the town, the church was consecrated to the invocation of Saint James, son of Zebedee. The first substantial church was probably erected in Estômbar in the first half of the 16th century (while Lagoa was still part of the municipality/concelho of Silves). The style of the main door of the church and its affinity to similar buildings such as the principal churches of Alvor and of Odiáxere, and Santa Misericórdia Church of Silves suggests the existence of a regional sub-group of Manueline architecture in the Algarve. The popular prevailing style of the time is reflected in this church: a tripartite nave with a wooden ceiling, no transept, and altars at the head of the nave on each side of the chancel, as well as side chapels. The first documented reference dates to 1719/1745, referring to the main altar and the collateral chapels. The earlier church was badly damaged in the 1755 earthquake during which the bell tower collapsed. The Manueline doorway survived, as did the tiling in the chancel end. Reconstruction took a number of years since various of alterations were introduced, including the replacement of the original interior columns with cylindrical classical ones reflecting contemporary taste (a revival of the style of the second half of the sixteenth century) similar to what occurred in Lagoa and St. Peter (São Pedro) of Faro. It is thought that, as in Lagoa, the Faro master carver Manuel Francisco Xavier, among others, played a part in the design and supervision of the reconstruction. We have a record of Xavier resigning his contract in 1769 because of the death of one of his partners. Eventually the work was finished in 1770, having cost the Building Commission (Comissão Fabriqueira) the sum of 630 milréis. By 1965, the church was in a bad state, with the ceiling and doorways damaged, in addition to problems with water infiltration that damaged the interior and walls. An earthquake on 28 February 1969, caused further damage to the towers, vaulted ceiling over the altar, the triumphal archway and divisions between the naves.