Saint Peter's Chapel

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Madeira > Porto Santo > Vila Baleira > Campo de Baixo

Location

The Chapel of Saint Peter is located in the Campo de Baixo area, in Vila Baleira, which belongs to the municipality of Porto Santo. It is situated on a rural and isolated plateau, on the slope of Pico de Ana Ferreira.

This location offers a wide and unobstructed view of the beach and the surrounding landscape of the island. Access to the chapel is via a dirt path. A small walled churchyard precedes the entrance, with a peculiar cobblestone pavement that draws parallel and diagonal lines, including the date of June 28, 1956, and a representation of a caravel with the crosses of Christ. Two imposing Canary palm trees symmetrically frame the chapel's facade.

Heritage and Architecture

This chapel, likely built between the 17th and 18th centuries, exhibits a fusion of Mannerist and Baroque styles. Its structure consists of a single nave with a longitudinal plan and a narrower, lower chancel, to which a sacristy is annexed.

The main facade, facing south, stands out for its gable, topped by a cross sculpted in typical Porto Santo stonework. The round arch portal is framed by pilasters and surmounted by a frieze and a cornice, above which opens a molded window, adorned with an oval cartouche, all in local stonework. The gabled roofs have double eaves in Roman tiles, giving a particular feature to the building.

Treasures Within

Inside the Chapel of Saint Peter, the plastered white walls create an environment of simplicity that highlights the richness of its artistic elements. The nave has a wooden ceiling with exposed beams and houses a quadrangular pulpit, crafted from painted and gilded wood, decorated with volutes and acanthus leaves, and an equally painted baldachin. Near the entrance, one can observe a holy water font made of Porto Santo stonework, shaped like a fluted shell, reminiscent of the shells found on the island's beaches.

The triumphal arch, which separates the nave from the chancel, is a round arch resting on Tuscan pilasters. In the chancel, the highlight is the main altarpiece, a late-Baroque work in gilded and polychrome carving, with a central niche housing the image of the patron saint. Above, the ceiling in a false wooden barrel vault is profusely decorated with polychrome paintings representing a glory of angels, integrating the attributes of Saint Peter: the papal tiara and the keys.

The Celebration of the Patron Saint

The Chapel of Saint Peter keeps its religious function and local tradition alive. Annually, on June 29, the feast in honor of its patron saint, Saint Peter, is celebrated, an event that continues to be a meeting point and expression of faith for the community.

It is a moment of deep cultural connection, where tradition manifests itself through a procession with the image of the Saint, revealing the strong devotion and community spirit that endure in this locality of Porto Santo island.

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