Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, Manueline chapel on Island of Mozambique, Mozambique

The Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte stands at the eastern tip of Mozambique Island, outside Fort São Sebastião and reached through its gate. Built in 1522, it has an imperfect two-key Manueline vault, likely due to the builders' inexperience, and was erected over an existing artillery battery. Ashlar stone and decorative elements brought from Portugal, probably intended for India, were used in its construction.

The chapel was built in 1522 by men of the fleet of D. Pedro de Castro, who stopped at the island on their way to India. The same crew had earlier made the first Portuguese attack on a Swahili settlement in the Quirimbas archipelago, from which they were repelled. The chapel was erected over an existing artillery battery, and it later received a porch, probably in the 17th century. It was restored in 1996 with funds from Portugal's National Commission for the Discoveries.

The chapel's name, Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, refers to a bastion, linking it to the artillery battery on which it was built. Its Manueline vault has two keystones, a feature attributed to the builders' inexperience. The chapel later received a porch similar to those of Portuguese churches in India, probably in the 17th century.

Access to the chapel is through the Fort São Sebastião entrance, allowing visitors to walk through and view the interior details at their own pace. Plan your visit to coincide with the fort's operating hours for the best experience.

The chapel stands directly next to the fort's gun emplacements, showing that it served both spiritual and defensive purposes for the Portuguese garrison. This placement reveals how settlers integrated religious life with military operations in their colonial outpost.