Category: Religious Architecture > Chapel
District: Leiria > Ansião > Pousaflores > Portela de São Lourenço
The Chapel of São Lourenço stands next to Rua das Escolas, in Portela de São Lourenço, a few kilometers from Pousaflores, in the municipality of Ansião. The small forecourt, paved with Portuguese cobblestones, is integrated into a landscape of olive groves and gentle pastures that extend to the surrounding hills.
Access is via a rural road with a traditional layout, where the chiseling of stone contrasts with the bright white of the chapel, offering an impression of calm and simplicity as you approach.
Already recorded in the mid-19th century as one of the chapels for public worship in the former parish, the devotion to São Lourenço dates back to the agricultural roots of the region. This temple serves as a religious and social meeting point for local inhabitants, keeping alive a tradition of faith that has persisted for generations.
The study by Dr. Costa Simões, dated 1848, specifically refers to it as an active chapel in Portela de São Lourenço, which underscores the importance it held in the daily lives of the neighboring rural communities.
It features a whitewashed facade, enhanced by a base and quoins painted blue, which frame a stone-cut portal with a rectilinear lintel. At the top of the pediment, a stone cross and a simple bell-cote complete the profile of the gable roof, covered with ceramic tiles.
The interior, with a single nave, preserves the minimalist atmosphere that invites contemplation. Around it, the clayey green of the olive trees and the earthy aroma of the countryside reinforce the sense of peace, making this space a place of quietude and reflection.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 39.86505007287453,-8.40283536299697
Coordinates DMS: 39°51'54.2"N 08°24'10.2"W
Weather Pousaflores
On-duty Pharmacy Pousaflores
