Description of the attraction
Cape Espishel is located a few kilometers west of Sesimbra and is considered the extreme point of the Setubal Peninsula.
This promontory attracts tourists because of the breathtaking spectacle that opens from the cliff when you look down at the Atlantic Ocean. Dangerous steep cliffs that fall into the sea, even in Roman times, were called Promontorium Barbaricum, which means “sheer cliffs of the barbarians”. A beacon is also installed there, which warns of the reefs approaching ships and ships.
The cape is also known for the fact that there is a sanctuary on it - the Sanctuary de Nosa Senhora do Cabu Espichel of the 18th century. The temple was built on the edge of a high cliff, and quite close to the edge. The church was built at the end of the 17th century in the Baroque style by the architect João Antunes. She became famous for her interior, namely: the ceiling covered with frescoes, as well as the throne and the statue of Our Lady. There is a local legend that says that the church was built on the place where the Mother of God on a white mule rose from the ocean to the very top.
The church has been a place of pilgrimage for Christians from Europe since the Middle Ages, so houses for pilgrims were soon built. A few meters from the church is the Chapel of Remembrances, built in the 15th century. The chapel is very small, decorated with a dome, inside the walls are covered with blue and white tiles "azulezush", which depict scenes from the legend about the appearance of the Virgin Mary to two elders.
