Description of the attraction
The Chapel of San Frutuosu is located in the Real area of Braga. This pre-Romanesque chapel is part of an ensemble of religious buildings, which also includes the Royal Church.
The original chapel building was built in the 7th century by the Visigoths in the form of a Greek cross. The chapel is also known as the Chapel of San Frutuoso di Muntelius or the Chapel of San Salvador di Muntelius. Since 1944, the chapel has been classified as a National Monument in Portugal.
Based on documentary sources, in 560 A. D. on the site of the chapel there was a small Roman villa and a temple dedicated to Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of healing and medicine. In 656, Fructuos, a Christian saint who later became Bishop of Bracara, founded the monastery of St. Salvador on this site and ordered the construction of a chapel in which he bequeathed to be buried. Reconstruction works were carried out in the 9th-10th centuries. In 1523, Archbishop Diego de Sousa founded the Franciscan monastery of the Capuchins near the Chapel of San Frutuoso, and there is reason to believe that he destroyed the ancient monastery of San Salvador. In 1728, the reconstruction of the church of the monastery of San Francisco and the chapel of San Frutuosu began, which was attached to the church. After reconstruction and many reconstructions, it became possible to get into the chapel only from the church itself.
In 1931, the restoration of the original appearance of the chapel, as it was in the 7th century, began. The Chapel is a unique example of Visigoth buildings in Portugal. The masonry of the walls is in the form of round arches supported by large columns. The columns are decorated with a wide decorated border. The inner space of the chapel is divided by a triple arch in the form of a horseshoe. The spherical dome is covered with plaster and painted in white. Coats of arms are carved on the granite slabs of the chapel floor.
Reviews
| All reviews 5 Igor 2013-12-04 10:45:10 PM
Portugal is super. I remember my trip to Portugal and my trip to the Peneda Gerês National Park. We had a very hot summer in Russia, so I decided to go somewhere to relax. There are a lot of lakes, rivers, dams in the park. It is very unusual that there is so much water in the park. The water is crystal clear, every pebble is visible. V…
5 Marina 12.04.2013 22:39:41
Chapel of San Frutuoso de Muntelius We decided to take a family vacation this year. Too tired of everyday life and fleeting weekends. We thought for a long time where we were going, and then everything turned out spontaneously. We went to Portugal, to the city of Braga. We went on an excursion almost every day. We loved the Chapel of San Frutuose. At first it was cognitive …
