Hermitage Queen Saint Isabel

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Açores > Lajes do Pico > Lajes do Pico > Almagreira

Location

The Hermitage of Queen Saint Isabel is located in Almagreira, a community in the locality of Lajes do Pico. This area is characterized by its organization around a single main street, where dwellings are arranged linearly, mostly oriented to the east.

From the hermitage, the view opens to a remarkable scenic environment, encompassing the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean, the imposing Pico mountain, and the characteristic landscape of the local community.

A New Construction

The current Hermitage of Queen Saint Isabel, inaugurated in 2011, is the result of a reconstruction project following the 1998 earthquake, which affected the islands of Pico and Faial. The previous building, dating from the 1970s, did not withstand the tremors and, due to its nature and construction, had not established a strong connection with the inhabitants of Almagreira. The new project, authored by architects Rui Pinto and Ana Robalo, sought to create a space of faith that would integrate significantly into the life of the community and its surrounding landscape.

Architectural Lines

With capacity for approximately eighty people, the building features a main nave of striking proportions and a design that explores asymmetry, inspired by the shape of a Latin cross. The structure includes a sacristy next to the altar and a distinctive opening in exposed concrete on the facade, which breaks the linearity of the ensemble. Above the altar, a concrete lantern allows for the entry of zenithal light, highlighting a central point in the space. Complementing the main building, an independent bell tower stands at the eastern end of the plot, next to the roadway.

Art and Symbolism

Inside the hermitage, the elements that compose the altar and the assembly area (such as the tabernacle, the ambo, the chairs, and the pews) were conceived with a cohesive aesthetic language that harmonizes with the environment. The altar space is characterized by an enclosure that evokes a "wooden box". The work also includes highly relevant artistic contributions: a wooden altarpiece, authored by Artur Amaro, and a bronze tabernacle, which incorporates symbolic metaphors created by Pedro Cabrita Reis, enriching the space with layers of meaning and contemplation.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt