Immaculate Conception (chapels)

There was once in the parish (freguesia) of Monte (‘hill’) a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Nossa Senhora da Conceição), founded by Tristão de França Bettencourt in a year unknown to us. In 1906 a chapel with the same patron saint was built in the Largo das Babosas (‘aloes’), in the same parish. It was founded to commemorate the jubilee celebrations held in Madeira to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The main part of these festivities was an imposing and brilliant religious procession that set out from the Cathedral (Sé Catedral) and made its way to the Largo da Fonte (‘spring’), in the parish of Monte, where an open-air Mass was celebrated. On that occasion the prelate Dom Manuel Agostinho Barreto delivered one of his most stirring and enthusiastic speeches. It was then that the idea arose of building the Chapel-Monument, which was carried out two years later; the diocesan bishop had first appointed a committee to raise the necessary donations and to direct the construction. Commander João Bernardino Gomes, vice-president of the committee, donated the land for the building of this graceful church and the image of the Virgin that stands on its altar, and there were other generous gifts for the ornamentation and decoration of the chapel. Justice demands that we record here that it was Commander Luís de Bettencourt Miranda who contributed most notably to the construction of the Chapel-Monument. To his diligent and persevering efforts is owed not only the completion of all the work but also the embellishment of the site, which became an exceedingly picturesque spot and an obligatory place to visit for all who go to the enchanting, paradisal resort of Monte. The pamphlet Nossa Senhora do Monte, by Father Joaquim Plácido Pereira, contains a detailed account of the jubilee celebrations and the founding of this chapel.

In the parish (freguesia) of Câmara de Lobos (‘seals’ den’), a short distance from the parish church, stands the chapel of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which is very old and is presumed to have been built by the people. Over time it has undergone various repairs, and only about twelve years ago major work was carried out there for its preservation and interior decoration. This chapel, which is not particularly small, is in the care of the fishing community, which maintains and supports worship in it.

In Rua da Carreira (‘track’), in this city, between Rua do Conde de Canavial and Rua da Alegria (‘joy’), stands the chapel of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It was founded in 1770 by Captain Luís Bettencourt de Albuquerque e Freitas next to his residence, and was blessed on 7 December of that year. In the parish of São Pedro (‘St Peter’), at a spot unknown to us, Rui Dias de Aguiar and his wife Leonor de Ornelas de Andrade founded in 1662 a chapel of the same dedication, whose deed of endowment was dated 11 December of the same year.

On the property he owned in the parish of São Roque (‘St Roch’), Canon António Lopes de Andrade founded in 1700 a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, its deed of endowment being dated 8 July of the same year. Diogo Afonso de Aguiar founded in 1688 a chapel in the parish of Tabua (‘bulrush’), likewise dedicated to Our Lady, which he had built very close to the shore. It was rebuilt in 1910 by José da Silva Novita and was blessed by the prelate Dom Manuel Agostinho Barreto on 31 July of the same year.

The chapel of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in the parish of Estreito da Calheta (‘the narrows of Calheta’) was the seat of an important entailed estate (morgadio), which covered one of the largest properties on this island. A few years ago its last owner sold it off in plots, and the chapel and the adjoining manor house were also sold. The chapel was founded by André de França e Andrade around 1672.

The chapel of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in the locality (sítio) of Amoreiras (‘mulberry trees’), in the parish of Arco da Calheta (‘arc of Calheta’), is of very recent construction. It was blessed on 27 December 1911 and was founded by the parish priest José Marcelino de Freitas with donations from the faithful.

On the bank of the Ribeira da Serra de Água (‘water sawmill’), close to its mouth, in the parish of Arco da Calheta, Gonçalo Fernandes built a chapel consecrated to Our Lady and made it the seat of an entailed estate, with the obligation of a daily Mass and the recitation of a responsory over his grave every day ‘for as long as the world shall last’, according to the relevant clause of his will.

Regarding this Gonçalo Fernandes, several genealogists say what is summarised in a note to the Saudades, in the following terms: ‘When peace had been made by King Afonso V and the Excellent Lady had retired to the convent, he was sent to the Island and forbidden to leave it. Every year the King sent him a ship with everything needed for his household; he was treated with great consideration, although his parents were never known. In his chapel he set up as his arms the Portuguese quinas in saltire, and on his tomb he had carved a boy with his face resting on his left hand and his elbow on a skull, pointing with his right hand to the following inscription taken from the Book of Wisdom: Sic et nos nati continuo desivimus esse (So we also, as soon as we were born, ceased to be). It is said that elsewhere he had a mule painted, kicking at Fortune.’

According to a manuscript from the beginning of the 19th century that we have seen, the chapel at Arco da Calheta ‘was an exquisite work’, and the nobiliary of H. H. de Noronha says that the founder adorned it ‘with great splendour and fine paintings’.

Gonçalo Fernandes died on 15 June 1539 and lies buried in this chapel, as already stated. He was succeeded in the entailed estate (morgadio) by his eldest son, Pedro Gonçalves de Andrade. This entailed house (casa vinculada) passed to the Freitas family of Madalena (‘Magdalene’), whose last representative was the holder of the entail (morgado) Nuno de Freitas de Lomelino.

Also dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception are a chapel in the parish (freguesia) of Santa Cruz (‘Holy Cross’), founded around 1600 by Bartolomeu Telo Moniz de Meneses, and another in the parish of Ponta Delgada (‘slender point’), rebuilt in 1754 by Nuno de Freitas da Silva; the year of its original construction is unknown.

In the parish of Ribeira Brava (‘wild river’), in the locality (sítio) of Conceição (‘Conception’), there is a chapel with the same dedication, of which we have no further information.

In the locality of Fajã dos Padres (‘the priests’ flat’), on the coast of the parish of Campanário (‘bell tower’), there was once a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which belonged to the Jesuits and was destroyed by Algerian corsairs in 1626.

With the same dedication, the Viscount of Cacongo had a chapel built in 1930 on his quinta (country estate) of Choupana (‘hut’), in the parish of Santa Maria Maior (‘St Mary Major’); it was blessed on 12 October of that year.

Also with this dedication, Captain José Sotero e Silva founded a chapel in the locality of Igreja, in the parish of Monte, which its present owner, José de Freitas Belmonte, had completed and opened for worship.