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About this place
Igreja de São Sebastião, usually called the Ermida de São Sebastião, is a small church in Tavira, in Portugal's Algarve region. Its exterior is plain, yet the interior ranks among the richest Baroque spaces in town.
Where is it and what is it?
The chapel stands in Tavira Municipality, Faro District, close to coordinates 37.1223 N, 7.6471 W. It is one of several brotherhood chapels for which Tavira was known. Confraternities also looked after chapels dedicated to São Roque and São Lázaro, and the Confraria de São Sebastião cared for this building and its furnishings.
Why is the interior so striking?
The chapel is regarded as a complete Baroque work because it brings several arts together in one room. You will find carved wood, mural painting and sculpture. An ornately painted ceiling and walls cover the interior. The contrast between the modest facade and the decorated inside makes stepping through the door a real surprise.
Who paid for the decoration?
The brotherhood persuaded King José I to give the profits of the local São Francisco fair toward decorating the chapel. In 1759 a local artist executed the extensive and costly wall paintings showing the life of Saint Sebastian.
What role did it play in town life?
In the past the need for protection from disease was acute, and Saint Sebastian was the saint invoked against it. For that reason one of Tavira's major religious processions was his. Each year on 19 January it travelled to the parish church of Santa Maria, and on 20 January it returned through the streets to the chapel.
A difficult twentieth century
In 1911 the First Republic confiscated the chapel, and its fine paintings began to rot with mould. Later, the interiors of the chapels of São Sebastião and Santana received restoration work, although their exteriors remained badly degraded.
Planning a visit
The chapel fits well into a walk through Tavira's historic centre, where many churches and chapels stand close together. Check opening hours before you go, since small chapels like this are not always open to visitors. If you enjoy Baroque art, look for the carved woodwork, the painted scenes from the saint's life and the decorated ceiling.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a church or a chapel? Locals most often call it an ermida, meaning a chapel, though it is also described as a church.
Who made the paintings? A local artist painted them in 1759, and the brotherhood obtained funds for the decoration from King José I.
Why was there a procession in January? The feast of Saint Sebastian falls on 20 January, and the procession took place on the 19th and 20th.
What is the highlight inside? The Baroque combination of carved wood, mural painting and sculpture.
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