Portal of the Chapel of Our Lady of Remedies

Category: Culture and Entertainment > Artwork

District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > Alfama

Location

This remarkable portal is located in the heart of Alfama, one of Lisbon's oldest and most authentic neighborhoods. Situated on Rua dos Remédios, the site is part of a historic urban fabric, characterized by narrow, winding alleys that climb and descend the hillside. The surroundings are marked by traditional residential buildings, offering an immersion into the vibrant and popular atmosphere of this historic area of the city, where the past intersects with Lisbon's daily life.

Manueline Legacy

The portal of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is a significant example of the Manueline style, a golden age of Portuguese architecture. Dating from the early 16th century, this element was classified as a National Monument in 1910, attesting to its artistic and historical relevance. It features a distinctive polilobed arch, richly ornamented with meticulous vegetal decoration, and a central shield displaying the dove of the Holy Spirit, a symbol of the ancient brotherhood that gave rise to the chapel.

A History of Faith and the Sea

The history of the chapel and its portal is intrinsically linked to Alfama's fishing community. Built around 1517, on the initiative of the Brotherhood of São Pedro Telmo, which brought together fishermen and sailors, the chapel was a place of worship and support for those who lived by the sea. Its invocation to Nossa Senhora dos Remédios derives from an old local legend, according to which an image of the Virgin was found in a well at the chapel's entrance, whose waters then became miraculous.

Art and Resilience After the Earthquake

Although the chapel was severely affected by the devastating earthquake of 1755, which ravaged much of Lisbon, it was rebuilt, maintaining its main facade with the original or faithfully restored Manueline portal. Inside, the single-nave chapel displays 18th-century tiles that cover the walls, and the chancel features an altarpiece with painted panels, attributed to the workshop of master Gregório Lopes. Also noteworthy is the peculiar location of the Casa do Despacho, which occupies a floor above the nave itself, an unusual architectural feature.

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