Chapel of Saint Euphemia

Category: Religious Architecture > Church

District: Viseu > Mangualde > Tragos > Tavares (Chãs, Várzea e Travanca)

Location

The Chapel of Santa Eufémia is located in the village of Tragos, part of the Tavares urbanization (Chãs, Várzea e Travanca), in the municipality of Mangualde. Integrated into what was once a significant rural estate, it offers a view of the surrounding landscape, characteristic of this region.

Witness to the 18th Century

The Chapel of Santa Eufémia is a remarkable example of 18th-century architecture, a period of significant growth for Mangualde. Its construction is intrinsically linked to the Amaral Pessoa family, former owners of the site where it stands. The presence of this family's coat of arms, visible at the crowning of the chapel's façade, is an element that highlights the power and social prominence its builders intended to assert through this work.

Artistic and Architectural Richness

The chapel's façade features careful decorative elaboration, with its ornamented pediment displaying the Amaral Pessoa coat of arms. Inside, the chapel reveals an atmosphere of profound beauty and history. It boasts a Rococo-style altarpiece and a Joanine-period tabernacle, whose exact provenance remains shrouded in mystery. Also noteworthy are the images of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, believed to originate from Coimbra Renaissance sculpture workshops. The continuous benches, also adorned with the family's coat of arms, reinforce the owners' connection to this sacred space. A particularly interesting detail is the wainscoting lining the interior, composed of checkerboard tiles that are thought to have been brought from the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Maceira Dão.

Harmony of the Immediate Surroundings

In front of the chapel, and in dialogue with its architecture, stands a Rococo-style fountain. This fountain is distinguished by its unique cutouts and is clad in blue and white tiles over a yellow marbled background. In its niche, an image of Our Lady with the Child reposes, creating a harmonious and visually appealing setting that complements the uniqueness of the Chapel of Santa Eufémia.