Capela de Santo António do Telheiro

Capela de Santo António do Telheiro is a neoclassical chapel in São Mamede de Infesta, in the municipality of Matosinhos within the Porto area. It was built in 1786 and has become one of the best-known places of worship in the parish. Every year in early September it hosts one of the most important local festivals.

What does the chapel look like?

The building has a simple longitudinal plan with a single nave. The main façade ends in a pediment with gently curved lines, typical of neoclassical architecture in northern Portugal. Inside, neoclassical retables, the framed altarpieces that hold images of saints, decorate the space.

In 1956 the chapel was enlarged and a lateral bell tower was added. The façade was covered at the same time in blue and white azulejos, the painted ceramic tiles that are a hallmark of Portuguese architecture. The tiles form a border. Saint Anthony appears on the left and Our Lady of Fátima on the right. An inscription names the Carvalhinho factory and records that the restoration was carried out in 1956.

Where does the name come from?

According to local legend, Saint Anthony was on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela when a terrible storm caught him. He sheltered where the chapel now stands, under a telheiro, a simple tile roof. That shelter gave the chapel its name, "do Telheiro".

Who paid for it?

The chapel was built in 1786 with money collected in an alms box. It grew out of small donations from local people rather than from a wealthy patron.

The festival of Santo António do Telheiro

The celebrations in honour of the saint are among the most important events in São Mamede de Infesta. They last more than a week and take place at the beginning of September. During that time the chapel and its surroundings fill with worshippers and residents, and the programme combines religious observance with local festive tradition.

Why visit?

• For the façade azulejos showing Saint Anthony and Our Lady of Fátima.
• For late eighteenth-century neoclassical architecture.
• For the legend of the pilgrim sheltering from a storm.
• For the atmosphere of the September festival, one of the main events in the parish.

Frequently asked questions

When was the chapel built? In 1786, funded by donations collected in an alms box.

What architectural style is it? Neoclassical, with a single nave and a façade topped by a curved pediment.

What changed in 1956? The chapel was enlarged, a lateral bell tower was added and the façade was covered in blue and white azulejos.

When is the patron saint's festival? At the beginning of September; the celebrations last more than a week.

Where is the chapel? In São Mamede de Infesta, in the municipality of Matosinhos, near Porto.