Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Cabo

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Cabo is a Baroque church in the municipality of Sesimbra, Portugal, standing on the headland of Cabo Espichel. It forms the heart of a Marian sanctuary that has drawn pilgrims from both banks of the Tagus for centuries.

What is Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Cabo?

The church is the main building of the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Cabo Espichel. The complex also includes the pilgrims' lodgings known as the Casa dos Círios, a Casa da Água with its aqueduct, and the Ermida da Memória. The church is therefore one element of a larger ensemble rather than a lone building at the edge of the land.

What is the history of the church?

The devotion goes back to the Middle Ages. The oldest references to the cult of Our Lady of the Cape date from 1366 and appear in a document from the chancery of King Peter I. According to tradition, an image of the Virgin was discovered on the promontory, presumably in 1410, and this find lay at the root of a popular cult. In the mid-14th century, more than six hundred years ago, a small hermitage was built to shelter an image long venerated on the rock where it was found.

The present church dates from the 18th century. Construction began in 1701 and may have been finished by 1707. The design is attributed to the royal architect João Antunes.

What is inside?

The interior has a single nave under a barrel vault. Visitors notice the white and black marble and ten carved gilt altars made between 1718 and 1722. Above the altars hang anonymous paintings showing episodes from the life of the Virgin. The altarpiece of the main chapel holds the image of Nossa Senhora do Cabo, around which the cult grew.

Why did people come here?

Modest houses began to grow around the old hermitage to receive pilgrims. In 1715 they gave way to larger lodgings with upper floors and storerooms, known as the Casa dos Círios. This layout shows that the place was a destination for regular pilgrimages, not just a local chapel. Today the sanctuary is an important monument of the Sesimbra municipality and is best visited together with the whole group of buildings.

How to visit

See the church as part of the whole complex. Walk around the pilgrims' lodgings, look at the Casa da Água with its aqueduct and the Ermida da Memória, then step inside to study the marble, altars and paintings. The headland is exposed at the end of the land, so bring warm clothing and comfortable shoes. Check opening hours and entry rules before you go on the Sesimbra municipality website or at a tourist office.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the church? On the Cabo Espichel headland in Sesimbra, Portugal, as part of the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Cabo Espichel.

When was the present church built? Construction started in 1701 and may have ended around 1707. The design is attributed to João Antunes.

Where does the cult come from? According to tradition, an image of the Virgin was found on the promontory, presumably in 1410. The oldest references to the cult date from 1366.

What else belongs to the sanctuary? The Casa dos Círios pilgrim lodgings, the Casa da Água with its aqueduct, and the Ermida da Memória.

What does the interior look like? A single barrel-vaulted nave, white and black marble and ten carved altars from 1718–1722, topped by anonymous paintings of the Virgin's life.