Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Aveiro > Anadia > Anadia > Arcos e Mogofores
Situated in Praça Visconde Seabra, in the Arcos and Mogofores area, in Anadia.
The chapel is set within the urban environment of the locality. Its main front and the west side façade face the public space of the square, which features a churchyard with Portuguese pavement. Although flanked by other buildings, its presence stands out in the surroundings.
The chapel exhibits a combination of styles, reflecting various phases of construction and remodeling between the 17th and 19th centuries, encompassing Mannerist, Baroque, and Neoclassical elements.
The main façade, facing the square, presents a prominent gable with a portal and a choir window, both with segmental arches and stone decorations that evoke Baroque architecture. At the corners of the façade, pilasters and decorative urns of Neoclassical inspiration are noticeable. The bell tower, on the left side of the front, is one of the oldest parts, dating back to the 17th century, with its pyramidal spire and bell openings.
The history of the Chapel of São Sebastião dates back at least to the 17th century, having been erected by the people. Over the years, it underwent several transformations and enlargements.
In the late 19th century, the chapel was profoundly modified to serve as the main church in Anadia. During this intervention, elements from another demolished religious building, the old Chapel of Santo António, were incorporated. Parts such as the main portal, the choir window, the triumphal arch, and even the main altarpiece came from this chapel. Of the original structure of the Chapel of São Sebastião, only the tower and the clock remained. Since the early 20th century, the chapel has been linked to and serves as the church of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Anadia.
There is also historical mention that the chapel might have had, in the past, a direct connection to the residence of the Sá e Melo family, later Counts of Anadia.
The interior of the chapel presents a sober environment, with white-painted walls and a false barrel vault ceiling made of stucco. Immediately upon entering, there is the choir loft with a wooden railing.
One of the focal points is the triumphal arch connecting the nave to the chancel, notable for its stucco decoration with motifs of angels and other ornamentations. In the chancel, the main polychrome carved altarpiece stands out, with gilded and colored details. In a Mannerist style, this altarpiece is richly decorated with Solomonic columns, reliefs illustrating scenes of martyr saints (such as the Judgment and martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, Saint Barbara, and Saint Agatha), and a profusion of decorative elements like acanthus leaves and cherubs.
Inside, it is also possible to observe other religious images, such as that of the Virgin and Child and Saint Catherine next to the triumphal arch, and a Stone Crucifix in the chancel, which bears the date of 1640 and may have originated from an old wayside cross.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 40.4417579,-8.4366778
Coordinates DMS: 40°26'30.3"N 08°26'12.0"W
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