Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Vila Real > Chaves > Santo António de Monforte > Curral de Vacas
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary is located in the rural territory of Curral de Vacas, an area that is part of the locality of Santo António de Monforte, in the municipality of Chaves. Its isolated position in the Alto-Tâmega plateau region offers an unobstructed view over agricultural fields. It is situated at the edge of the village, at a point where paths diverge, providing an environment of tranquility and contact with the surrounding natural landscape.
Built between the 16th and 17th centuries, the chapel features religious architecture characterized by its simple lines and the predominance of granite. Its plan is rectangular, and the immediate highlight is the front porch. This is supported by four chamfered pillars, resting on a small stone wall that extends to form a continuous bench. The main entrance is marked by a perfect arch portal, with wide voussoirs and a small niche at the keystone. On the lateral and rear facades, the construction is of exposed ashlar masonry, topped with a cornice. A discreet perfect arch slit window, on one of the sides, is the only source of natural light for the interior. Above the roof's eaves, a perfect arch bell-gable crowns the chapel, adorned with a decorated frieze and topped by a Latin cross.
The interior of the chapel, a single space with a slabbed floor and a trough-shaped wooden ceiling, preserves a valuable set of mural paintings on the rear wall. These works, of great artistic and historical relevance, are notable for appearing in two distinct, superimposed layers, depicting the patron saint, Our Lady of the Rosary. The first painting campaign, a fresco likely dating from the 16th century, displays the characteristics of 16th-century art from Northern Portugal. Subsequently, in the first half of the 17th century, a second intervention renewed the iconography with a mixed technique, already influenced by the Baroque style. This artistic superposition is a testament to the continuity of devotion and the evolution of styles over the centuries. The paintings, which were discovered and carefully restored in the early 1990s, represent a cultural aspect of great interest to visitors.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.80067,-7.386095
Coordinates DMS: 41°48'2.4"N 07°23'9.9"W
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