Category: Religious Architecture > Portal
District: Setúbal > Setúbal > Setúbal > Bairro Salgado
The Portal da Gafaria is located on Avenida Manuel Maria Portela, between numbers 17 and 19, in the locality of Santa Maria da Graça, in Setúbal. This avenue is known for having been, in the past, the Estrada de São João.
It is presumed that the portal was part of a leprosarium existing on the site in the 14th century, a rare vestige of the medieval period in Portugal.
The stone of the door lintel, still preserved, contains a Latin inscription taken from the Old Testament: "Vanitas, vanitatum et omnia vanitas". This phrase means "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity", a reflection on the ephemerality of life.
It is one of the few remaining material remnants associated with medieval leprosariums in Portugal, carrying with it significant historical and cultural value.
The location is easily accessible, being located in a central area of Setúbal, ideal for those exploring the city on foot.
The phrase inscribed on the portal is part of the book of Ecclesiastes, reinforcing the religious and meditative character of the time in which it was created.
Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_da_Gafaria
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.52594293796567,-8.886995098668839
Coordinates DMS: 38°31'33.4"N 08°53'13.2"W
Weather Setúbal
On-duty Pharmacy Setúbal
