Ermida de São Sebastião, Manueline chapel in Alvito, Portugal.
The Ermida de São Sebastião is a small chapel built in the Manueline style, standing outside Alvito's old town walls. The structure displays fourteen exterior buttresses topped with prismatic finials and features a pointed arch entrance beneath a circular window.
Construction began around 1485, following a devastating plague that swept through Portugal in the late 1470s. The chapel was built as a sanctuary in response to this epidemic.
The dedication to Saint Sebastian reflects the chapel's origins as a refuge after plague struck the region in the late 1470s. The interior frescoes depict religious figures and angels, serving as visual prayers that visitors encounter while walking through the space.
The chapel is located outside the town and is easily visible from the surrounding area. Visitors should plan to spend just a few minutes exploring the exterior and interior, as this is a small, intimate structure.
The building combines Late Gothic and Mudéjar architectural elements, creating a blend not commonly seen in rural Portuguese chapels. This stylistic fusion reflects how the region absorbed different artistic traditions into its own building practices.
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