Our Lady of Nazareth in Capela da Memoria
by Angelo DeVal
Title
Our Lady of Nazareth in Capela da Memoria
Artist
Angelo DeVal
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Our Lady of Nazareth in Capela da Memoria, Place where the statue was found by Dom Fuas Roupinho in Nazare, Portugal. For preservation and safety reasons the statue in this picture is a replica of the original that is exposed in the Cathedral of Nazare
The small chapel is situated over the beach, in the top of a cliff in the Sitio da Nazare, in Nazare (Portugal). It was built in 1182, over the grotto where in three centuries of Muslim rule in the region, it remained the image of Our Lady of Nazareth, a Black Virgin, seated breastfeeding the baby Jesus.
On a misty morning of September 16, 1182, the legend tells, D. Fuas Roupinho, "Alcaide" (mayor) of Porto de Mos, was hunting, when between the tick fog, he saw a deer wich soon begun to pursuit, inadvertently, toward a cliff where he rushed, shrouded in fog. D. Fuas when was about to fall, he acknowledged to be in the edge of the cliff, over the abyss, next to a cave where was a venerated image of Our Lady, and beg her: "Lady , worth me!". The horse miraculously staked and and the rider and his mount were saved from a certain death.
In appreciation to Virgin, and in memory of the miracle, D. Fuas ordered construct over the cave, the Chapel of Memory (Capela da Memoria), with a square floor plan and pyramidal vaulted coverage, remained in place until the walls began to rise. When the shaped porch building was completed, the image that was saved here, since 711, became to be worshipped.
Outside, the chapel sides spanning four and a half feet side by three feet high, until the start of the pyramid.There is a tiled panel on the door with the arms of Portugal into a shell, and another on the south wall on the cliff with the representation of the miracle D. Fuas. The coverage is fully tiled pyramidal and apex has an ordeal, surmounted by a cross of stone. Based on the capstone over the door, there is a stone 'cottage with Gothic decoration, from the late fourteenth century, which is carved in low relief, the image of Our Lady of Nazareth flanked by three figures kneeling, badly damaged by the action of time. The chapel until the fourteenth century had the form of a porch with open sides, with arches that were then boarded up.
Inside, it has two floors where all the walls and vaults are covered with tiles of the beginning of eighteenth century. Upstairs there is an altar whith tiles dated from 1702. The side walls has two large slabs inscribed with the history of the image. The pyramidal dome, has in center a square panel with a representation of the Phoenix, symbolizing the hope of life after death, with the caption ET VIVAM which can be translated by "Live this way!" The sides of the pyramid have four panels embedded, in later age, painted with a rose, a palm tree, a cedar, a cypress and Bible verses, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, in which plant characteristics are compared to His virtues.
The lower floor, with a small window on the gulf, is covered with a dome panel representing the miracle D. Fuas. Provides access to the cave entrance where the sacred image of Our Lady of Nazareth was kept from 711 to 1182, year of construction of the chapel, above the cave, which was then boarded up, and was being forgotten over time.
Frei Bernardo de Brito at the end of the sixteenth century, found in the office of the monastery of Alcoba�a a copy of the territorial donation made by D. Fuas Roupinho to Our Lady of Nazareth in 1182. It can be read, there have been a cave beneath the chapel. Visited the S�tio da Nazar�, sought help from other devotees, and together they dug in the basement of the chapel, where they discovered the cave, that from then on would be visible.
According to an oral tradition of the inhabitants of the site of Nazareth in ancient times many people happened to venture into deep into the cave and disappear. To clear up the mystery, a priest, who stuck to him a long rope and accompanied by his dog, entered the cave and never returned. It will have then built a wall to prevent access to the remote part of the cave and put up railings at the entrance. Today visitors can see the cave entrance, about which there is a niche where hangs a replica of Our Lady of Nazareth.
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December 25th, 2016
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