Category: Religious Architecture > Chapel
District: Vila Real > Mondim de Basto > Mondim de Basto > Lugar do Souto
Situated in the heart of Mondim de Basto, in Lugar do Souto, this chapel stands in a square paved with granite slabs. Its urban surroundings, marked by 18th and 19th-century buildings, lend the site an atmosphere of tranquility and tradition, integrating the chapel harmoniously into the town's landscape.
The Chapel of the Lord is a notable example of religious architecture, with its construction likely dating back to the 16th century. Over time, particularly during the 18th century, its interior underwent a profound redecoration that gave it the artistic richness that can be admired today. The building's importance is recognized by its classification as a Property of Public Interest.
With a rectangular plan and a single nave, the chapel features a sober main facade, crowned by a gable and pinnacles, and a rectangular door that replaced an earlier one. A distinctive exterior element is the presence of a granite sundial, located laterally on the bell tower above the roof. Inside, attention is drawn to the nave ceiling, covered by twenty-nine coffered panels with gilded frames, containing paintings depicting Old Testament biblical motifs. The space is complemented by two polychrome carved altarpieces flanking the triumphal arch, and the chancel walls, decorated with 17th and 18th-century tiles, culminating in a polychrome carved altarpiece on the end wall.
Recently, restoration work has brought to light previously unknown details of the chapel. Behind the main altarpiece, mural paintings from the year 1588 were revealed, depicting Saint Francis of the Stigmata and Saint Christopher. Another intriguing discovery, made beneath the nave's pavement, was the existence of approximately twenty graves, marked with granite frames and containing human remains, elements that enrich the understanding of this site's long history and different phases of life.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.412258,-7.954116
Coordinates DMS: 41°24'44.1"N 07°57'14.8"W
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