Hermitage of Our Lady of Guadalupe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hermitage of Our Lady of Guadalupe |
|
|---|---|
|
Ermida de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe
|
|
 |
|
| 37°05′01″N 8°51′53″W / 37.08361°N 8.86472°W | |
| Location | Vila do Bispo, |
| Country | Portugal |
| Denomination | Catholic Church in Portugal |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Romano-Gothic and Late Gothic |
| Years built | uncertain |
The Hermitage of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also called the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Portuguese: Ermida de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe), is a very old and special church in Portugal. You can find it between the towns of Budens and Raposeira, in the Algarve region. This chapel is famous because people believe that Prince Henry the Navigator (1394–1460) used to pray here. He was a very important explorer! Besides the chapel, there is also a small museum dedicated to Prince Henry.
Contents
What is the Hermitage?
This chapel is built from local sandstone. It has a simple, rectangular shape. Strong supports called buttresses hold up its walls. This style is known as Romano-Gothic. Inside the main part of the chapel, there is a beautiful vaulted ceiling. It is held up by eight columns. These columns have amazing carvings of branches, shells, faces, and leaves.
You can also see two stone gargoyles on the south side. They are like decorative spouts that carry rainwater away from the roof. Above the main door, there is a small round window called a rose window.
The Hermitage of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the oldest religious buildings in the Algarve. It is special because it survived a huge earthquake in 1755. This earthquake destroyed many other old buildings. It was also one of the first churches in Portugal to be named after Our Lady of Guadalupe. Even though it's in a quiet area, it's quite a large building. People think it could hold about 400 people for a church service! In 1924, this chapel was declared a National Monument. This means it's a very important historical site.
A Look Back in Time: Its History
The exact age of the chapel is a bit of a mystery. Some experts think it was built by the Knights Templar. This was a powerful group of knights. They might have built it during the time of King Denis in the late 1200s. Later, it would have been dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Who Built It?
However, another idea is that the chapel was built after a special event. This event was called the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It happened in Spain in the early 1300s. There are also parts of the building that look like they were built in the 1400s. These parts are similar to the nearby Silves Cathedral. But some people believe these were just changes made to the chapel later, not when it was first built.
The chapel has a strong link to Prince Henry the Navigator. In Portugal, he is known as the Infante Dom Henrique. He was the fourth son of King John I of Portugal. Prince Henry was very important in starting Portugal's Age of Discovery. He sent explorers to sail along the west coast of Africa. They were looking for a direct sea route to India and the Far East. Many stories say that Prince Henry often came to this chapel to pray before his big voyages.
