St Louis (chapels)
Original title: São Luís (Capelas de)
Describes two chapels dedicated to São Luís: an early eighteenth-century chapel at Diferença in Faial, and the chapel built by Bishop D. Luís Figueiredo de Lemos beside the old Episcopal Palace in Funchal, where he was buried.
A chapel with this dedication once stood in the locality (sítio) of Diferença (‘difference’), in the parish (freguesia) of Faial. It had been founded by Manuel de Carvalho Valdavesso, Judge of Orphans in Funchal, and his wife Dona Luísa Maria de Vasconcelos França e Noronha, daughter of Valentim de Ornelas e Vasconcelos, 7th holder of the entail (morgado) of Penha de Águia (‘eagle crag’). The deed of endowment, charged on a property in the parish of São Martinho (‘St Martin’), is dated 1 October 1725, so the chapel was built at approximately that time.
Beside the old bishop's palace (Paço Episcopal), Bishop Dom Luís Figueiredo de Lemos (volume II, page 30) built the chapel of São Luís, and he was buried there in 1608. It is said that his tomb was violated. When, around 1882, the chapel was converted to house a school, the ashes of this prelate were placed in the inner chapel of the bishop's palace, and some years later they were transferred to the Cathedral (Sé Catedral). Over them was laid the tombstone that had stood in the centre of the chapel where the prelate’s mortal remains had originally been buried. The chapel, which has a fine portal skilfully carved in cantaria rija (hard dressed stone of vesicular basalt), has been deconsecrated for many years.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 03-
Bishop D. Luís Figueiredo de Lemos died in Funchal and was buried in his São Luís chapel beside the Episcopal Palace.
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Manuel de Carvalho Valdavesso built the chapel of São Luís at Diferença, Faial, and its deed of endowment was executed.
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The São Luís chapel by the Episcopal Palace was adapted to house a school and the bishop's remains were moved.
Place
Places mentioned · 08- Chapel of St Louis · Subject
Funchal
The Elucidário records two chapels dedicated to São Luís. One is an early eighteenth-century chapel at Diferença in Faial. The other was built by Bishop D. Luís Figueiredo de Lemos beside the old Episcopal Palace in Funchal, and he was buried there.
- Bishop's palace
Funchal. The bishop's São Luís chapel stood beside the old Episcopal Palace.
The old bishops' palace in Funchal, built in 1751 after the 1748 earthquake and enlarged by Bishop Teles da Silva, with the bishop's São Luís chapel beside it. It housed the seminary and lodged the nuncio. From 1914 it was taken over by the lyceum, forcing the Câmara Eclesiástica to move, and paintings and vestments from it went to the Archaeological Museum.
- Diferença
Santana. Site of the former São Luís chapel.
Inhabited locality in the parish of Faial. A chapel of São Luís was built there in 1725 but no longer stands. The locality also has the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Penha de França.
- Faial
Santana. Parish containing the Diferença chapel.
Faial is a north-coast parish of Santana municipality created in 1550, whose mountain springs feed the Levada da Serra. It contains Chícharos and the Diferença chapel, owns the eastern part of Pico Ruivo, and is noted for cheese-making and columnar basalt.
- Funchal
Where the founder served as judge of orphans.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Funchal Cathedral (the Sé)
Funchal. Final resting place of Bishop Figueiredo de Lemos's remains.
The Sé do Funchal is the cathedral of Funchal, in the parish of Sé. It was begun in 1493, became a parish seat in 1508 and a cathedral in 1514. It was the starting point of processions and the place of the vow to São Tiago, and bishops are buried there.
- Penha de Águia
Santana. Gives its name to the entail held by Valentim de Ornelas e Vasconcelos.
Truncated-pyramid sea cliff nearly 600 m high on Madeira's north coast, praised for giving its name to a valley of unrivalled beauty. Stuebel considered it the remnant of a destroyed secondary crater, and its seaward face shows double dykes. It is a breeding site of the boieiro and gave its name to an entail.
- São Martinho
Funchal. Parish of the property charged with the chapel's endowment.
São Martinho is a suburban parish west of Funchal, created in 1579 from São Pedro and partly added to the city in 1927. It had sugar factories, grew Tinta vines, and has characteristic volcanic bombs. It is the reputed birthplace of D. Nuno de Aguiar.
People
People mentioned · 04-
Bishop of Funchal who built the São Luís chapel by the old Episcopal Palace and was buried there in 1608.
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Wife of Manuel de Carvalho Valdavesso and co-founder of the São Luís chapel in Faial.
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Judge of orphans in Funchal who, with his wife, founded the São Luís chapel at Diferença, Faial.
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Seventh holder of the Penha de Águia entail and father of the chapel's co-founder.