Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Vila Real > Mesão Frio > Pereira > Capelêda
Situated in the Capelêda area, in the village of Pereira, municipality of Mesão Frio, the Chapel of São Caetano stands on a mid-slope, set in a rural landscape of great beauty. Its churchyard, paved with granite setts, offers a wide perspective over the vineyard terraces that characterize this area. Facing east, the chapel provides a view over a right-bank tributary of the Douro River, fitting perfectly into the landscape of the Douro Demarcated Region. In the churchyard, strategically placed stone benches allow for contemplation of the serene surrounding environment.
The Chapel of São Caetano features religious architecture that reflects the Baroque style, with elements developed between the 18th and 19th centuries. The main façade, facing west, is particularly elaborate. It features a straight-lintel portal, flanked by pseudo-Solomonic columns supporting an entablature. Above this, a shell-shaped niche and a curved pediment, interrupted by a coat of arms, give it a unique artistic quality. On the side façades, Tuscan pilasters and elegant pinnacles enrich the composition, and on the north façade, two moulded gargoyles add a decorative touch.
Inside, the chapel's space is divided into the nave and the chancel, separated by a step and a triumphal arch. The walls, plastered and painted white, are adorned with a wainscoting of polychrome tiles, which introduce a contrast of colours and patterns. The curved wooden ceilings are painted blue, creating a welcoming and contemplative atmosphere. On the Gospel side, there is a carved wood pulpit, and the altarpieces, both the side ones and the main one, are of white and gilded woodcarving, in the Neoclassical style, a result of a redecoration the space underwent in the 19th century.
With its origins likely in the 17th or 18th centuries, the Chapel of São Caetano has a rich history and a strong connection to popular devotion. By the mid-18th century, it was already renowned, attracting many devotees who sought the intercession of Saint Cajetan, to whom numerous miracles were attributed. This legacy of faith led to its reputation as a pilgrimage site. A noteworthy curiosity is the presence, next to the churchyard on the north side, of an ancient stone tomb, with an enigmatic inscription on its lid that evokes the ephemerality of life and the certainty of the end, a vestige of the past that adds a touch of mystery to the site.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.1772196,-7.8588856
Coordinates DMS: 41°10'38.0"N 07°51'32.0"W
Weather Pereira
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