Located on the outer limits of the land belonging to the Hieronymos Friars, the chapel was built in 1514 by Rodrigues Afonso, although the architect Boytaca was due to carry out the work but, at the time, he was working on the Monastery.
This is a square building with a subdued exterior showing certain decorative details typical of the Manueline style: the conical pinnacles, the gargoyles very similar to those found in the Monastery´s Cloisters, the royal shield, the crown and armillary spheres. On the inside, there are further features defining the style particularly the sculpted triumphal arch and the ribbed vaults.
After the religious orders were abolished in 1834, the lands were sold off in lots and the chapel was left cut off from the rest of the Belém religious complex. The same century also saw restoration work carried out. |