Chapel of São Pedro de Balsemão, Visigothic chapel in Sé, Lamego, Portugal

The Chapel of São Pedro de Balsemão is a small Visigothic chapel, likely from the 7th century, with a 17th-century facade. Its interior has three naves separated by ultra-semicircular arches on Corinthian capitals, and a rectangular apse. A carved sarcophagus of Bishop Afonso Pires, who died in 1362, lies in the central nave.

The chapel was built during the Visigothic period in the 7th century and was renovated in the 10th century as the region was repopulated. These rebuilding efforts show how the site regained importance after population shifts occurred.

The chapel was long used as a family vault by the landowners of the estate, and the Solar dos Pintos next door grew from the same property. On the main façade, three coats of arms in square granite slabs mark that ownership, beside two Romanesque inscriptions to the right of the doorway.

The chapel stands on Rua Cardoso Avelino at Largo do Desterro, reached from Rua da Calçada along the municipal road that winds beside the river, roughly 3.2 km from Lamego and just before the village bridge. It sits on a semi-embankment between the old convent and the Solar dos Pintos, separated from them by a courtyard and a rural lane. Entry is by a four-step staircase on either side of the building. Photography inside is restricted by IGESPAR.

Beneath the current building lie remains of a Roman villa, and inscriptions from the time of Emperor Claudius were found in the foundations. These archaeological finds show the site held importance thousands of years ago.