Prison Chapel or Treason

Category: Religious Architecture > Chapel

District: Braga > Braga > Braga > Tenões

Location

The Chapel of the Arrest, also known as the Chapel of the Betrayal, is the third chapel on the Via Sacra route of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, located in the parish of Tenões, municipality of Braga. It is situated on the wooded slope of the mount, integrated among stone paths and vegetated areas that enhance the atmosphere of spiritual recollection. The location, with its silent atmosphere, marks the beginning of Christ's physical suffering, following the moment of agony in the Garden of Olives.

Context and Significance

The episode represented here still takes place in the Garden of Olives, immediately after Jesus' prayer. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, who identifies Him with a kiss, Christ is arrested by the guards sent by the chief priests. The scene symbolizes the beginning of the Passion and confronts the visitor with themes such as loyalty, human weakness, and repentance. The designation “Arrest or Betrayal” synthesizes the dual meaning of the event: the moment of surrender and the capture of the Savior.

Architecture and Visual Elements

Built in the early 18th century, under the patronage of Archbishop D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles, the chapel features an octagonal plan and granite structure, with simple and balanced lines. On the pediment, the Latin inscription “MANUS INJECERUNT IN JESUM ET TENUERUNT EUM” stands out, taken from the Gospel of Matthew (26:50), which translates to “They laid hands on Jesus and arrested him”. This text, carved in stone, synthesizes the spiritual and dramatic content of the interior.

Sculptural Scene

The interior sculptural group depicts Judas at the moment of the kiss that betrays Jesus, while armed soldiers approach to arrest Him. Saint Peter, moved by the impulse of defense, raises his sword and cuts off the ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant. In the background, a young man, the youth mentioned in the Gospels, is depicted fleeing, wrapped in a sheet. The composition, illuminated by a small lantern and the openings of the building, conveys the tension and movement of the scene, evoking the contrast between human violence and Christ's serenity in the face of His arrest.

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