Chapel of São Frutuoso facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chapel of São Frutuoso
Capela de São Frutuoso
The front façade of the Romanesque chapel of São Frutuoso alongside of the Church of São Salvador
General information
Type	Chapel
Architectural style	Visigothic
Location	Real
Town or city	Braga
Country	Portugal
Coordinates	41°33′37″N 8°26′20″W / 41.56036°N 8.43882°W / 41.56036; -8.43882
Opened	560 A.D.
Owner	Portuguese Republic
Technical details
Material	Granite
Design and construction
Architect	Fructuosus of Braga

The Chapel of São Frutuoso (also known as Capela de São Frutuoso) is a very old chapel in Real, a town near Braga, Portugal. It's a special building because it was built by the Visigoths in the 7th century. The chapel has a unique shape, like a Greek cross. Since 1944, it has been recognized as a National Monument in Portugal.

History of the Chapel

The Chapel of São Frutuoso has a long and interesting past. It stands on a site that was once a small Roman villa. People believe there might have been a temple dedicated to the god Asclepius here around 560 A.D.

Founding and Early Years

In 656, a very important person named Fructuosus of Braga founded a monastery on this spot. He was the Bishop of Bracara at the time. He ordered the chapel to be built as his own tomb. A writer named São Valerius confirmed this, saying that Fructuosus was buried there between 665 and 666.

Later, between the 9th and 10th centuries, the chapel was rebuilt and redecorated. A document from 883 shows that the chapel was rededicated to São Salvador. This document also confirmed that it was first built between 656 and 665.

Changes Over Time

Around the 12th century, after the Reconquista (when Christians took back land from the Arabs), people became very interested in Saint Frutuoso of Braga again. In 1102, the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, D. Diogo Gelmires, moved Saint Frutuoso's remains to Compostela.

In 1523, another Archbishop, D. Diogo de Sousa, built a new Franciscan convent next to the chapel. This new convent likely replaced the older Monastery of São Salvador.

Later Reconstructions

In 1728, Archbishop D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles ordered a big reconstruction. The Chapel of São Frutuoso became part of the larger Church of the Convent of São Francisco. This meant big changes for the chapel. Its main entrance was destroyed, and parts of its original design were changed.

In 1897, an architect named Ernest Korrodi suggested restoring the chapel to its original look. He believed it was a very old and important building. More than a century later, in 1931, João de Moura Coutinho e Sousa Lobo began the restoration work. He thought the chapel was built by Fructuosus of Braga as his tomb, inspired by a famous mausoleum in Ravenna, Italy, called Galla Placidia.

Many repairs and restoration projects followed. These included rebuilding the roof and walls in 1939 and 1941, and fixing the pavement and arches in 1961. More conservation work continued through the 1970s and 1980s to keep the chapel in good condition.

Architecture of the Chapel

The Chapel of São Frutuoso is located on the side of the Church of the Convent of São Francisco. You can enter the chapel from inside the church. Originally, it had its own entrance from a small courtyard.

This chapel is a very rare example of Visigothic buildings in Portugal. Its design is based on a Greek cross, which means it has four arms of equal length. This design might have been inspired by Byzantine mausoleums, like the Galla Placidia in Ravenna.

Exterior Design

From the outside, the chapel looks like a rectangle. It has a tower-like dome (called a cupola) on top, with a cross. The roof is covered with rounded tiles. The walls are made of limestone and have decorative carvings called frieses. These carvings show shapes like ropes, half-circles, and six-pointed stars.

The sides of the chapel have "blind arcades," which are arches that are part of the wall but don't open up. These designs are repeated on the dome. The main front of the chapel, which was once the main entrance, has a large arched doorway. In one part of the chapel, there's a special niche called an arcosolium. This is where Saint Fructuosus's remains were originally placed.

Inside the Chapel

Inside, the walls are made of stone and have round arches. These arches are supported by large pillars. Above the pillars, there are more decorated frieses with triple horseshoe-shaped arches. The dome inside is smooth and painted white. The floor is made of granite slabs, some with coats of arms carved into them. To get to the chapel from the main church, you go down a staircase.

Images for kids

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  The Church of São Francisco and the lateral Chapel of São Frutuoso, with dependencies associated with the Monastery of São Salvador, as seen from the square

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  The alternating exterior angular and rounded frieses on the southwest corner of the Chapel

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  The triple horseshoe-shaped arch division between the arms of the Chapel

See also

In Spanish: Capilla de San Fructuoso de Montelius para niños