Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte

Chapel of Our Lady of the Hill – Graça

At the top of the Monte hill, in Graça, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte is one of the oldest in Lisbon. The original hermitage was founded in 1147 and dedicated to Saint Gens, a bishop of Lisbon who, according to tradition, was martyred on this spot. It served as a place of prayer for the Augustinian friars, who built dwellings and the Hermitage of Saint Gens beside it and, in the mid-thirteenth century, were granted land on which to enlarge their premises and build a small convent. The 1755 earthquake destroyed the hermitage completely and it was rebuilt; its present appearance dates from 1796. The façade, with a gabled roof and a small oculus, is preceded by a porch supported by nine pillars, and the chapel has a bell tower. The interior, a single rectangular nave with chamfered corners, brings together tiles, mural paintings, gilded woodwork and sculpture, notably the nativity scene attributed to Machado de Castro and the stone chair that tradition holds to have been the seat of the chapel's patron. It has been a Property of Public Interest since 1933, a classification covering the porch, the chair of Saint Gens, the nativity scene and a sixteenth-century panel. No visiting hours are published by an official source, so it is wise to check before going.

Located at: e-cultura (Centro Nacional de Cultura)
Address: Largo do Monte, Graça, 1170-253 Lisboa
Opening hours: Visiting hours not published; opens mainly for worship (check before visiting)
Coordinates: 38.71928, -9.13244
Buses: 13B, 734, 797, 708, 736, 10B, 17B, 726, 730, 760
Tram: 28E, 12E
Metro: Martim Moniz (Green), Intendente (Green)
Train: Sintra Line, Rossio Station
Opened: 1147 (879 years)