Category: Religious Architecture > Chapel
District: Braga > Braga > Braga > Tenões
The Chapel of the Anointing, also known as the Chapel of Tears, is located in the parish of Tenões, in Braga, on the final stretch of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. It is the thirteenth chapel of the Via Sacra (Way of the Cross) and is situated to the right when ascending the Stairway of the Resurrection, between the Hospedaria terrace and the Largo dos Evangelistas. The building stands partially enveloped by trees, in a tranquil spot of the sanctuary, where nature and silence reinforce the meditative character of the represented scene.
This space marks the penultimate moment of the Passion narrative, symbolizing the preparation of Christ's body for burial, in an atmosphere of recollection and piety.
The chapel, with a hexagonal plan, was erected during the time of Archbishop D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles, in the early eighteenth century. The exterior features a Latin inscription “POSUERUNT EUM IN MONUMENTO” (Acts of the Apostles 13:29) which means “They laid Him in a tomb”. This biblical phrase summarizes the meaning of the interior representation, where the body of Christ is anointed and wrapped in linen before being placed in the tomb.
The sculptural group, composed of fourteen figures, was conceived by Father Silvestre de Campos and executed by António Monteiro. The figures, made of polychrome plaster, are modeled with great expressiveness, highlighting the suffering and compassion that characterize this stage of the Passion.
Inside, the dead Jesus lies stretched out on a white sheet, about to be anointed and shrouded before deposition in the sepulchre. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus hold the body by the extremities, in a gesture of care and reverence. In the center, the Blessed Virgin Mary contemplates her Son, deeply saddened. To her right are Mary, wife of Clopas and Veronica, and to her left Mary Salome and Mary Magdalene, kneeling in weeping. Behind, St. John the Evangelist and four men observe with expressions of pain and astonishment. In front, a Roman centurion, with helmet and spear, watches the scene in respectful silence.
The arrangement of the figures, the crossed gazes, and the restrained gestures convey a moment of transition between suffering and serenity, between death and hope. The sculptural ensemble creates an atmosphere of intense emotion, where art and devotion unite to represent the instant before burial.
The Chapel of the Anointing or of Tears is one of the spaces with the greatest symbolic weight in the sanctuary. The natural light entering through the side windows softly illuminates the figures, highlighting the contrast between the still body of Christ and the vivid expressions of those present. The visitor is invited to silence and introspection, in an environment that combines art, spirituality, and emotion, culminating the sequence of the Via Sacra before the scene of the Resurrection.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.555525587739176,-8.377174542904095
Coordinates DMS: 41°33'19.9"N 08°22'37.8"W
