Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Vila Real > Vila Pouca de Aguiar > Cidadelha de Aguiar > Urbanização das Trigueiras
The Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is located in Urbanização das Trigueiras, an area of Cidadelha de Aguiar, in the municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar. Situated on one of the village's boundaries, the chapel forms a street frontage, adjoined to an old noble house. The main access is via some granite steps that lead to a landing, integrating into the locality's semi-urban environment.
This chapel, whose construction dates back to the second half of the 18th century, is an interesting example of the religious architecture of the period. Although conceived as a private chapel, its main façade stands out for its decorative care. It features pilasters and a stone cross crowning the pediment, giving it a distinct presence. The entrance portal, with its chamfered frame and straight lintel, is framed by pilasters that support a broken pediment, where a family coat of arms is displayed. This coat of arms is enriched with a set of shell motifs, scrollwork, and vegetal elements, which also repeat flanking the pilasters and above the frames of the side openings, revealing the influence of the Rococo style.
Inside the chapel, despite its single nave being of simpler conception, lies an element of exceptional artistic value: its Rococo main altarpiece. Classified as a Property of Public Interest, this carved wooden altar is a central piece, painted to imitate marble in shades of pink, green, and white, highlighted by gilded details. Its concave composition, with pilasters and columns profusely decorated with vegetal motifs and shell motifs, frames a central niche. The altarpiece stands out for its uniqueness, being recognized as a striking regional interpretation of the works of the André Soares Workshop, evident in the exuberant use of shell motifs and the particular form of some of its elements.
Upon observing the interior, it is possible to note how the walls, once plastered and painted, featured a simulated dado of polychrome tiles. The ceiling, with a curved wooden profile, and the cornices that supported it were adorned with paintings simulating marbling, in shades of pink and blue, in harmony with the colors of the main altarpiece. Although the original high choir has been partially altered, the wooden railing with a diamond pattern is still visible, contributing to the historical atmosphere and the ornamental richness of the space.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.5111202,-7.6433411
Coordinates DMS: 41°30'40.0"N 07°38'36.0"W
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