Body Saint Garden

Category: Nature > Garden

District: Porto > Matosinhos > Leça da Palmeira > Leixões

Location

The Jardim do Corpo Santo (Garden of the Holy Body) is located in Leça da Palmeira, Matosinhos municipality, in the area known as Leixões. This space stands on a small wooded hill, providing a distinct perspective of the urban surroundings. Access is via a wide stone staircase leading to its walled churchyard, giving it an isolated and prominent presence in the landscape.

A Maritime Testimony

At the heart of this garden stands the Chapel of Corpo Santo (Holy Body), a place with a history deeply connected to the sea. Its origin is believed to date back to 1557, when sailors from a carrack, the "Senhora da Conceição," allegedly built a small hermitage as the fulfillment of a vow. After facing a storm and invoking the Holy Body, they promised to build a temple in gratitude, thus beginning the legend surrounding this site. The current chapel, with its Baroque architecture, is believed to have been built over that primitive hermitage in the 18th century and later renovated in 1900.

The Chapel: Details and Devotion

The Chapel of Corpo Santo features a Baroque facade facing south, preceded by an open galilee supported by pillars and columns. Above the main portal, a marble plaque records the dates 1557 and 1943. Inside its single nave, under a varnished wooden ceiling, a granite pulpit and two large polychrome torch-bearing angels, typical of the Baroque style, stand out. In the nave, a glass dome houses a model of a boat, a symbolic element believed to be a replica of the sailors' vessel that gave rise to the chapel, serving as a unique ex-voto. The chancel is crowned by a painted and gilded altarpiece, featuring Solomonic columns and a framed painting depicting a Nativity scene.

The Surrounding Garden

The garden embracing the chapel's churchyard offers a tranquil and inviting atmosphere. This landscaped space is complemented by a monument honoring Dr. José Domingues d´Oliveira, whose bust was sculpted by Teixeira Lopes and the urban arrangement designed by Marques da Silva, enriching the architectural and landscape ensemble. The elevated and wooded surroundings of the site provide a moment of pause and contemplation, connecting history and faith with nature and local memory.

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