The chapel of Santo Amaro

Rectangular plan temple with the juxtaposed volumes of the side annexes, the south annex currently having the function of mortuary. The body of the nave has a gabled roof and a porch or porch open to the front and supported by four columns. The main façade faces west and the altar is on the east side of the nave. The reconstruction carried out in 1994 replaced the old columns of the galilee and when the exterior wall on the east apse was chipped in, a stone arch resting on jambs appeared on the plasterwork that has corresponding features on the interior, behind the altar, suggesting that initially the temple it was a little longer and that to the east of this now walled-in arch, another division could be built with the old high altar of the chapel or its sacristy.
The origin of the temple may date back to the 15th or 16th century, justifying the words of the parish priest Manuel Romão who in 1758, in response to the Pombaline inquiry, declared that the Ermida «is close to the village [and is] as old as it». The chapel was built along the path that linked Alfeizerão to Pederneira and, in the opposite direction, it received the pilgrims from Nazaré who, until not very distant times, came to the Santo Amaro festivities because they venerated him as protector of the people of the sea (Santo Amaro as Saint of the Sea).
The traditional fair and festival of Santo Amaro (called “Festa dos Pinhoes”) involves the day of the liturgical calendar consecrated to the saint: January 15th. According to the Geographical Dictionary of Father Luís Cardoso (1747), the fair was created with «Provision in the year of one thousand seven hundred and seven, with the grace of being the terrado for increase, and works of Casa do Santo, of whose Provision he asked to see the Donatário, and the land for the Monastery is charged; it lasts three days and is not frank”.

In an attached PDF file, we have collected the main news about the chapel and the Santo Amaro fair that we collected from choreographies and parish register books.