Chapel of Our Lady of Alcamé

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Lisboa > Vila Franca de Xira > Alcamé > Monte de Alcamé

Location

The Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Alcamé is located in the heart of the vast and fertile Lezíria Grande do Tejo, in the locality of Alcamé, municipality of Vila Franca de Xira. This unique position, in an isolated rural environment, gives it a distinctive character and an unobstructed view over the flat landscape that surrounds it, punctuated by cultivated fields and the floods of the Tagus.

Integrated into the Special Protection Zone of the Tagus Estuary Natural Reserve, the surrounding area is a sanctuary for wildlife, especially avifauna. Numerous ditches and canals, lined with reeds, create an ideal habitat for various species of aquatic and migratory birds, such as the purple heron, stork, black kite, and several eagles, making the visit also appealing to birdwatchers.

Architecture and Historical Context

Built in the mid-18th century, around 1747, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Alcamé is a remarkable expression of the Baroque period. Its construction was an initiative of D. Tomás de Almeida, the first Patriarch of Lisbon, and was likely designed by the architect José Manuel de Carvalho e Negreiros, whose works are recognized for the dynamism of masses and the interplay of curved and straight volumes. The chapel features an imposing proportion, with a longitudinal plan, a single nave, and a chancel of the same height.

The building, made of plastered and whitewashed masonry with stonework elements, stands on an elevated platform, a feature designed to protect it from the frequent floods of the lezíria. Its striking presence amidst the agricultural fields reflects the importance of providing a place of worship and shelter for the rural workers of the time, who had difficulty accessing urban churches.

Legend and Pilgrimage

The chapel is linked to a local legend that recounts the miracle of a serpent, which was prevented from biting a cattle herder through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who closed the animal's mouth with an apple. This story led to Nossa Senhora de Alcamé being recognized as the patron saint of the 'campinos' (cattle herders) and, by extension, also of the 'varinos' (river boatmen), populations with a strong connection to the Tagus and the life of the lezíria.

In her honor, the chapel is the central point of the traditional Pilgrimage of Nossa Senhora de Alcamé, a festivity with roots in the 19th century, which mobilized farmers and the local community. After interruptions, the pilgrimage was revived and takes place annually in June, recreating the processions and parades that once filled the lezíria, with the image of the Virgin being transported in ox-drawn carts, in a vibrant testament to the rural traditions of the Ribatejo.

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