Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Açores > Lagoa > Água de Pau > Monte Santo
The Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte Santo rises majestically atop Pico da Figueira, also known as Monte Calvário (Calvary Mount). This elevated position, at an altitude of 738 meters, offers a broad and tranquil perspective over the village of Água de Pau and the vast surrounding landscape, in the municipality of Lagoa, São Miguel island. The isolated and serene location is embraced by a triangular churchyard, highlighting the chapel on the horizon.
The construction of this chapel, completed in September 1931, is deeply rooted in local faith and traditions. History tells that, in 1918, a young woman from the village, Maria Joana Tavares do Canto, along with a friend, experienced apparitions of the Virgin Mary on this mount. This event, which quickly spread, culminated in a day of large influx of people, when a vision of the sun revealed the figures of Our Lady, Jesus, and angels. In memory of these events and after the passing of young Maria Joana, her parents decided to build this place of worship, making it a point of reverence and remembrance.
The chapel features distinct architectural characteristics. Its floor plan is unusually hexagonal in the main body, with the chancel and sacristy articulated through faceted volumes. The facades are plastered and painted white, highlighting the structural and decorative elements outlined in sky blue, which gives it a popular and picturesque appearance. The windows, with their cut-out frames and protected by reddish wooden lattices, contribute to its unique aesthetic. Inside, the simple white walls house a single altar, where the image of Nossa Senhora do Monte (Our Lady of the Mount), sculpted in Lisbon, resides.
On the same elevation, just behind the chapel, stands a replica of the Glorious Cross of Dozulé, an element erected in 1998 by the Missionary Fraternity of Christ-Youth. This imposing luminous cross, 7.38 meters high, was built to symbolically correspond to the altitude of Monte Calvário. Its presence on the summit, visible from many points in the surrounding area, underscores the devotional character of the site and complements the experience of those who seek a moment of peace and contemplation there.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 37.7197507,-25.5094876
Coordinates DMS: 37°43'11.1"N 25°30'34.2"W
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