Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Leiria > Porto de Mós > Alqueidão da Serra
Located in the village of Alqueidão da Serra, in the municipality of Porto de Mós, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Tojeirinha is set in a predominantly rural yet easily accessible landscape. Its isolated placement, flanked by a stone wall that defines a churchyard, imbues it with an atmosphere of tranquility. In the churchyard, a stone cross stands out, adorned with symbols of the Passion of Christ. This site is integrated into the natural landscape of the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Protected Area, allowing visitors to appreciate the scenic surroundings.
The Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Tojeirinha is a site of great antiquity, with roots that are lost in time. Although the stone altarpiece inside dates back to 1631, it is believed that the temple is much older, having been initially dedicated to Saint Stephen. There are various theories about its foundation. One suggests that the chapel was built to serve a community of lepers ("gafos") who, in the Middle Ages, isolated themselves in this area, with Saint Stephen as their protector. The toponymy "Gafarias" in the surrounding area seems to reinforce this historical connection. Another perspective points to its construction with the purpose of allowing the inhabitants of Alqueidão to attend Sunday mass closer to home, avoiding the trip to Porto de Mós.
From an architectural standpoint, the chapel features a longitudinal plan, covered by a gable roof. The main facade is marked by an angular gable, crowned by a cross resting on a plinth and delimited by pilasters with decorative urns. To the left, a small arched bell-gable adds a picturesque touch to the ensemble. Entry is through a segmental arch doorway, surmounted by an oculus. Inside, the highlight is the main altar, where a simple stone triptych altarpiece stands, composed of three niches that once housed the temple's most venerated images.
The chapel's name is intrinsically linked to a local legend that spans generations and explains its devotion to Nossa Senhora da Tojeirinha. It is told that a farmer, while plowing the land nearby, found an image of the Virgin Mary hidden beneath gorse, thorny bushes common in the region. The image, carried in procession to the then temple of Saint Stephen, eventually gave the chapel its new name, owing to the place where it was discovered. A captivating popular tradition also states that, at one time, Our Lady herself would move from the chapel to a small grotto nearby, expressing the desire for a door to be built facing her "six sister chapels," a tale that underlines the strong mystical connection of the site to the community.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 39.6141437,-8.7841174
Coordinates DMS: 39°36'50.9"N 08°47'2.8"W
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