Capela das Almas

Church in Porto

Capela das Almas (meaning Soul’s Chapel), also called Saint Catherine Chapel, is a building from the 18th century that is known by its tile covered façade. These panels, added in 1929, represent episodes from the lives of S. Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine. To create this magnificent piece of work 16.000 tiles were needed.

The Capela das Almas is a chapel located in the parish of Santo Ildefonso in the city of Porto, Portugal. It has its origins in an old wooden chapel built in honor of Santa Catarina. The current building was constructed at the end of the 18th century when the Irmandade das Almas e das Chagas de São Francisco moved from the Monastery of Santa Clara to the Chapel of Santa Catarina. The chapel has two parts, the second being the lower, and underwent expansion and restoration works that modified the original style in 1801. The main façade has a framed door topped by a circular pediment. On the tympanum, a bipartite coat of arms is fixed, with the arms of São Francisco de Assis and Santa Catarina. To the left stands the bell tower, which has two floors. The dome is topped by an iron cross. Also noteworthy is the stained glass window representing souls, executed in the 19th century by the painter Amândio Silva. The exterior surfaces of the chapel were plastered and whitewashed until 1929. The chapel’s cladding is currently made up of 15,947 tiles covering around 360 square meters of wall. The tiles covering the chapel were designed by Eduardo Leite and were made by the Viúva Lamego Ceramics Factory in Lisbon. They date from 1929 and represent the steps in the life of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine, who are venerated in the chapel.

The Capela das Almas appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Porto!

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