A chapel on the beach is a curious sight, but it makes much more sense when you consider that Capela do Senhor da Pedra is widely believed to be the site of a pagan altar that the Catholic Church covered up with a chapel.
Something I learned only after moving to Portugal is that this structural “conversion” by the Catholic Church was a common way for them to deal with the ancient paganism that existed here. Quite effective, except that Capela do Senhor da Pedra is still a magnet for modern-day pagans, chapel notwithstanding. And when I hear about the reported miracles which have turned places like Fátima into pilgrimage destinations, I view them as the other side of the same coin — they require the same amount of belief (or suspension of disbelief) as legends and superstitions rooted in paganism.
I’ve photographed Capela do Senhor da Pedra before, but this is the first time I shot the interior and the azulejos by the door. I wrote about Capela Do Senhor da Pedra and its mysteries for Air Transat’s blog, Experience Transat, last summer. You can read it here:
http://www.airtransat.com/experiencetransat/miramars-breathtaking-miracle-chapel-in-porto-portugal/
And here’s another view of the chapel, at sunset.
July 16, 2016
Album: Portugal [Summer 2016]