Category: Religious Architecture > Chapel
District: Viseu > Nelas > Senhorim > Cervães
Located in the tranquil Cervães plateau, in Senhorim, within the municipality of Nelas, this religious complex offers an experience of serenity in a truly rural setting. Surrounded by gentle landscapes where vineyards are distinguished to the south, pine trees to the southeast, olive and fruit trees to the north, and punctuated by rural dwellings to the west, the site emerges isolated. The space is enhanced by a large walled churchyard, adorned with continuous benches, and preceded by a majestic staircase, with stone handrails culminating in pyramidal pinnacles, inviting contemplation and repose.
The history of this complex dates back to the 15th century, with the tradition of a Marian apparition in Mata das Cervas leading to the construction of a first hermitage. Throughout the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, the site underwent various transformations and reconstructions, culminating in the foundation of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Cervães around 1660, in the old Rossio da Senhora. Later, in 1754, the Chapel of Senhor do Bonfim was blessed, which would become known as the Chapel of Calvary in 1986. This secular journey of religious dedication and continuous improvement works bestows upon the complex a profound historical and cultural value, recognized with its classification as a Property of Public Interest.
The complex stands out for the fusion of architectural elements that were added throughout the centuries. The Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Cervães displays a striking Baroque style, visible in its arches of different shapes, full-center, depressed, and basket-handle, and in ornaments such as volutes and tapered pinnacles. The main façade, with its rectangular portal and a niche with the image of Our Lady and the Child, is an invitation to discover the interior. Alongside, the bell tower adds impressiveness to the complex. The interior of the main chapel reveals a single nave, with paneled and coffered ceilings, which house a remarkable collection of paintings. The Chapel of Calvary, in turn, complements the complex, connecting to the main chapel by a discreet corridor. Although featuring more sober lines on the exterior, its interior surprises with details of religious art.
Visitors will find a true profusion of artistic details inside the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Cervães, with emphasis on the gilded and white carving, which represents one of the highlights of its decoration. The carving, from the first phase of the national style, features pseudo-Solomonic columns decorated with spirals that extend into concentric archivolts, enriched with motifs such as acanthus leaves, vine leaves, and grapes. The pulpit and the altarpiece of the triumphal arch are notable examples of this art. The painted ceilings of the nave, with 49 panels, narrate scenes from the Old Testament, the life of the Virgin, and Christ, while the ceiling of the chancel displays the Dove of the Holy Spirit, the Twelve Apostles, and Marian emblems. In the churchyard, a stone fountain and ancient inscriptions, such as the one from 1667, are testaments to the experience and spiritual value of this space throughout the centuries.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 40.54842259,-7.75417131
Coordinates DMS: 40°32'54.3"N 07°45'15.0"W
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