Chapel of Saint Gonçalo or Chapel of Saint Gonçalo "inho"

Category: Religious Architecture > Chapel

District: Aveiro > Aveiro > Aveiro > Beira Mar

Location

The Chapel of São Gonçalo, also known as Chapel of São Gonçalinho or of São Gonçalo de Amarante, is located in the parish of Vera Cruz, municipality of Aveiro, in Portugal, near the canals of the Ria de Aveiro, in the Beira Mar neighborhood.

History

The chapel was built in 1714 and is dedicated to São Gonçalo, known for his ability to cure bone diseases and solve marital problems.

Festivities in honor of São Gonçalinho

Every year, on the Sunday closest to January 10th, the festivities in honor of São Gonçalinho take place. During these festivities, the residents of the Aveiro neighborhood perform a unique ritual. They throw "cavacas" (dry cakes made of egg whites, flour and sugar) from the side corridor that surrounds the dome of the chapel towards the crowd. People use various utensils to catch the thrown sweets. It is a very fun tradition and hundreds of kilos of cavacas are thrown during the days of festivity.

Delivery of the branch

During the festival, there is also a ritual inside the chapel called "delivery of the branch". A bouquet of artificial flowers is delivered to those responsible for the pilgrimage next year. This branch has a significant symbolic value, as it has been preserved for many years.

Dance of the Lame

Another highlight of the festival is the "Dance of the Lame", held inside the chapel. A group of men pretends to be lame or physically disabled and dances in a circle to the sound of popular songs.

Classification

The chapel was classified as a Property of Public Interest by IPPAR (Portuguese Institute of Architectural Heritage) in 2003.

Characteristics

The chapel was built with Ançã stone. Its entrance portal, made of the same type of limestone, has a niche that houses a 17th-century statue of São Gonçalo de Amarante. The altarpieces inside the chapel are dated from the 18th century and made of wood.

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capela_de_São_Gonçalo_(Vera_Cruz)

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