St Joseph (chapels)
Original title: São José (Capelas de)
Survey of chapels dedicated to Saint Joseph in Madeira and Porto Santo, with their founders and dates, in Ribeira Brava, Calheta, Porto Santo, Machico, Santa Cruz and Camacha.
Chapels of Saint Joseph
In the parish (freguesia) of Ribeira Brava (‘wild river’), a short distance from the parish church, there stood a chapel dedicated to St Joseph which, according to the annotator of ‘Longing for the Homeland’ (Saudades da Terra), was founded by Luís Gonçalves da Silva in 1710. Around 1905 it was still standing, though in an advanced state of ruin, and bore the date 1709 above its doorway. On 15 April 1750 a licence was granted for it to be blessed, and its administrator at the time was Second Lieutenant Tomé João Pimentel. Was it only blessed in 1750, or was this a rebuilding? We do not know. It is certain, however, that the licence for the blessing was granted on 15 April 1750, as we were able to verify from an authentic document.
In the parish of Calheta (‘small cove’) there was a chapel dedicated to São José, whose founder and date we cannot determine. We do know, however, that the earthquake of 1748 left it badly damaged and that Francisco Agostinho de Figueiroa e Vasconcelos, its administrator and administrator of the entail attached to it, had it rebuilt in 1776, moving it to a safer site but close to the original building. So that services could be held in it, it was inspected by the ecclesiastical authorities on 3 June 1776.
In the same parish, and with the same dedication, there is today an elegant chapel built in 1915 in the locality (sítio) of Vale da Bica (‘spout valley’) by Dr Manuel dos Passos Freitas, beside the residence he owns there (1921).
On the island of Porto Santo (‘holy harbour’) there was a chapel dedicated to São José, founded in 1681 by Estêvão Bettencourt Perestrelo, governor of that island. The deed of endowment of this chapel is dated 7 July 1681.
In 1730 Father António Gonçalves Franco founded a chapel dedicated to São José in the parish of Machico; it is now in ruins.
In the parish of Santa Cruz (‘Holy Cross’) there was a chapel consecrated to São José, whose founder and date of construction are entirely unknown to us.
At the beginning of the second quarter of the 20th century, a chapel with the same dedication was built in the picturesque locality of Achada (‘plateau’), in the parish of Camacha.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 07-
The endowment deed of the São José chapel in Porto Santo was signed.
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Luís Gonçalves da Silva founded the São José chapel at Ribeira Brava.
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Padre António Gonçalves Franco founded the São José chapel in Machico.
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On the night of 31 March to 1 April 1748 a violent earthquake struck Madeira, causing few deaths but heavy damage to buildings, including the cathedral, the bishops' palace, the customs house, the Monte church, the Mosteiro Novo house and numerous chapels and parish churches.
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Licence was granted to bless the São José chapel at Ribeira Brava.
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The São José chapel at Calheta was rebuilt on a safer site and inspected on 3 June.
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A chapel of São José was built at Vale da Bica, Calheta.
Place
Places mentioned · 09- Chapel of St Joseph · Subject
Calheta
Survey of chapels dedicated to Saint Joseph in Madeira and Porto Santo, with their founders and dates. It covers chapels in Ribeira Brava, Calheta, Porto Santo, Machico, Santa Cruz and Camacha.
- Achada
Santa Cruz. Site of a 20th-century São José chapel.
Achada is a small plateau near the parish church of Camacha. It has the Camacha clock tower and a 20th-century chapel of São José, and foreigners once knew it as the Jogo da Bola sports ground.
- Calheta
Parish with two São José chapels.
Calheta is a town, parish and municipality on Madeira's south-west coast and one of the island's oldest settlements. The Elucidário covers its name, early settlers such as Pedro Berenguer, its church and many chapels, including one of a former Franciscan convent, and the 1834 riot.
- Camacha
Santa Cruz. Parish containing the Achada chapel.
Camacha is an upland parish above Caniço in Santa Cruz municipality, founded in 1676 with its seat in the São Lourenço chapel. The Elucidário covers its church, role in the 1828 Miguelist invasion, quintas, levadas, the Poiso shelter house, its Pentecost pilgrimage, women's padded skirts, its plants and gardens, and its famous wickerwork industry started by Hinton.
- Machico
Parish of a São José chapel founded in 1730, now ruined.
The parish of Machico was the landing place of the discoverers Zargo and Tristão Vaz and the seat of the captaincy of Machico; the parish was founded c. 1450. The Elucidário covers its clergy and stipends, chapels, historical events, mineral springs, localities, population and notable natives.
- Porto Santo
Island where a São José chapel was founded in 1681.
An island of the archipelago, settled alongside Madeira and forming one of the three captaincies. It has always constituted a single parish, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Piedade, whose church was repeatedly sacked. The Elucidário records the Moorish pirate raid of 1617, its own Misericórdia and a rainwater channel built on this drought-prone island.
- Ribeira Brava
Parish of a São José chapel founded c.1709–10.
Ribeira Brava is one of Madeira's oldest parishes, named after its violent stream, with a town, port and quay. The Elucidário covers its collegiate church and its paintings, its Franciscan convent and chapels, and its São Pedro festival with a boat and sword dance. It also records riots against the metric system and deaths when troops fired on the people during the 1884 election.
- Santa Cruz
Parish where a São José chapel of unknown origin existed.
Santa Cruz is a parish and one of Madeira's oldest settlements, named after a cross Zarco had raised there at the discovery. The Elucidário covers its early ecclesiastical history, collegiate church, chapels, noble settlers and localities.
- Vale da Bica
Calheta. Site of the 1915 São José chapel.
Vale da Bica is a locality in the parish of Calheta, Madeira. It is the site of a chapel of São José built in 1915, and Lombo do Doutor is a well-known place within it.
People
People mentioned · 06-
Priest who founded a São José chapel in Machico in 1730.
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Governor of Porto Santo who founded a São José chapel there in 1681.
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Administrator of the Calheta São José chapel and its entail, who rebuilt it on a safer site in 1776.
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Founder in 1710 of the São José chapel at Ribeira Brava, according to the annotator of Saudades da Terra.
- Manuel dos Passos Freitasb. 1872
Had a São José chapel built in 1915 beside his residence at Vale da Bica, Calheta.
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Ensign who administered the Ribeira Brava São José chapel when licence to bless it was granted in 1750.