Chapel of the Flagellation or Scourging

Category: Religious Architecture > Chapel

District: Braga > Braga > Senhora da Rocha

Location

Integrated into the Via Sacra route of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, in Braga, this chapel is strategically positioned on the slope of the sacred mountain. It represents the fifth chapel on a symbolic path that leads visitors upwards towards the main sanctuary. Its location invites tranquility and reflection, in a natural and deeply spiritual environment.

The Sculptural Group and its Authorship

Inside this octagonal-plan chapel, there is a significant sculptural group that captures visitors' attention. The figures, authored by the notable Master Lino (António Lino), depict Christ tied to a column, accompanied by his scourgers. The expressiveness of the sculptures aims to convey the intense suffering experienced by Jesus at that moment. At the front top of the chapel, an inscription in Latin, «APPREHENDIT PILATUS IESUM, ET FLAGELLAVIT», serves as a reminder of the words describing Pilate's order for Jesus to be scourged.

Symbolism and Reflection

This chapel is dedicated to the representation of the Flagellation scene, one of the most striking moments of Christ's Passion. Through its arrangement and the power of its imagery, the site invites visitors to profound reflection on sacrifice and torment. The depiction of the flagellation, an event that occurred, according to tradition, on the ground floor of the Governor Pontius Pilate's palace, where Jesus was tied to a column to be scourged, is a central element in the narrative of the Via Sacra of Bom Jesus do Monte and in the spiritual journey it represents for pilgrims and visitors.

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