Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Viseu > Vouzela > Alcofra
Situated in a quiet, rural setting, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Necessidades is located in a small churchyard, surrounded by some traditionally designed buildings. Its position, on a slightly elevated point, allows for observation of the surrounding landscape, which stretches across cultivated fields, contributing to a sense of quietude and seclusion at the site.
The history of this chapel dates back to the early years of the 18th century. Interestingly, its original invocation was not that of Nossa Senhora das Necessidades, but rather São Mamede, by which name it was known in 1732 and which it retained even after a general reconstruction work in 1747. It was only in 1821 that the temple assumed the patronage of Nossa Senhora das Necessidades, by which it is recognized today.
Over time, the structure underwent several interventions that adapted its form and functionality. Around 1930, the chapel gained its bell tower and a clock. Later, in the 1970s, the interior floor was renovated with ceramic tiles. Around 1990, the high choir was built, and renovation works were carried out on the roofs, plasters, and paintings, ensuring its preservation.
The chapel features Mannerist-style architecture, with a simple longitudinal plan and a single rectangular body. Its main facade, facing north, is defined by a gable with a cornice and pinnacles at the corners, culminating in a decorated pedestal supporting a cross. Access is through a rectangular portal, with moldings, frieze, and cornice, flanked by equally rectangular posterns.
Above the portal, a circular oculus allows natural light into the interior choir. The bell tower, attached to the facade, is notable for its single window and its crown in the shape of a pyramidal spire, topped by a pinnacle. The side facades, largely plastered and painted, are also marked by cornices and pinnacles at the corners, completing the Mannerist aesthetic of the building.
Upon entering, visitors find a single nave, where the high choir stands out, accessible by a side staircase. On the Gospel side (to the right of those looking towards the altar), the pulpit is prominent, consisting of a stone basin set on a corbel, and a solid wooden balustrade decorated with coffers, which invites closer observation of the artisanal details.
The interior floor is covered with ceramic tiles, and the ceiling features a polygonal-section wooden ceiling, lending a sense of spaciousness and welcome. The focal point of the interior is the high altar, elevated by three granite steps. Upon it stands a painted wooden altarpiece, with four columns supporting an interrupted pediment, ornamented with elegant volutes, a typical element of its construction period and subsequent evolution.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 40.6440349,-8.189172
Coordinates DMS: 40°38'38.5"N 08°11'21.0"W
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