Chapel of Saint Peter

Category: Religious Architecture > Hermitage

District: Évora > Portel > Velares

Location

The Hermitage of Saint Peter is situated on a high point of the Serra de Portel, in the locality of Velares, integrated into the area known as Bairro Dias de Carvalho, within the municipality of Portel. Its isolated position, on the plateau's summit, offers extensive and stunning views over the surrounding mountain landscape, creating a setting of great tranquility and vastness.

Access to the complex is via a churchyard, where the older hermitage rises on a small artificial platform, accessible by a steep staircase. The more recent hermitage, in turn, is set on an artificial terrace, bordered by low walls and paved with brick, where a cruzeiro (stone cross) can be observed, complementing the site's surroundings.

A Unique Complex of Two Hermitages

This place of devotion is, in fact, an architectural complex composed of two distinct hermitages, both with a strong connection to pilgrimage. The older chapel stands out for its circular plan, a less common form, with a simple mass that develops vertically. Its exterior is marked by pilasters culminating in pyramidal pinnacles. The radial dome roof is topped by a geodetic marker, and the main entrance, facing east, features an architraved portal with a pediment decorated with volutes and a stone cross.

The second chapel, built in the 17th century, exhibits a longitudinal plan. It consists of a nave and a narrower, lower chancel, with an attached sacristy. The main facade, oriented to receive light, features a porch with three depressed arches and a bell tower, and its ashlar portal is surmounted by the patron saint's emblem, indicating the date of its consecration.

Interior Artistic Richness

The interior of the more recent hermitage is a testament to the art and faith that shaped it. The rectangular nave has four bays marked by blind arcades and half-columns, with a barrel vault ceiling. On this vault, a frieze of sgraffito stucco can be observed, depicting the saint's iconography. Along the nave's elevations, there are continuous benches, designed for the comfort of pilgrims, and cabinets that once held votive candles.

The chancel, quadrangular in shape, is preceded by a triumphal arch abundantly adorned with gilded carving, decorated with naturalistic elements and symbols alluding to Saint Peter. The ceiling of this section is a hemispherical dome, resting on squinches, and is richly decorated with mural paintings of volutes, valances, and angels. At the dome's center, a medallion depicts the tiara of Saint Peter Papa. The main altarpiece, also in gilded carving, features Tuscan columns with bunches of grapes and vine leaves, and the Latin inscription TV ES / PETRVS. The chancel's side walls are enriched with two painted canvas panels, and in the attached sacristy, a marble lavabo, decorated with volutes and a cross, completes the ensemble.

History and Devotional Tradition

The Hermitage of Saint Peter boasts a history dating back to the early 16th century, at which time a confraternity dedicated to Saint Peter, the town's patron saint, already existed. It is probable that the temple was built in the very first years of this century, establishing itself early on as a central point of pilgrimage and worship in the region.

The older hermitage is, according to local tradition, also known as the "grotto," a sacred place where, according to popular belief, the image of the patron saint is said to have appeared. This narrative reinforces the symbolic and spiritual value of the site, keeping alive the memory of a devotion that has perpetuated over the centuries and continues to attract those seeking a space for contemplation and connection with the religious past of Alentejo.

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