Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias

The Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias is a beautiful chapel located on the southern shore of the Lagoa das Furnas. Along with the natural landscape that surrounds it, it's one of those buildings that's absolutely worth seeing in São Miguel, even if only to admire it from the outside.

It was commissioned by José do Canto, a distinguished Azorean man passionate about literature and botany, on the back of a very personal promise. In 1854, his wife Maria Guilhermina fell gravely ill and he promised to build a chapel in her honor if she recovered. She did recover, and José do Canto kept his word. The chapel was built between 1877 and 1885 and opened in 1886. Today it's also the place where both are buried, so it doubles as a family mausoleum.

In the French Gothic Revival style, inspired by the great cathedrals of Europe, it's one of the most imposing and unique buildings in the entire archipelago. Take a look at its slender, spire-topped tower and, if you go inside, at its thirteen stained-glass windows, which depict scenes from the life of the Virgin from her birth to the Assumption. It has been listed as a Site of Public Interest since 2001.

Today the chapel is part of the Mata-Jardim José do Canto estate and can be visited with a ticket, along with the garden. We recommend checking the hours and prices on its website before you go, because they can vary by season.

And even if you don't go inside, it's well worth stopping for a few minutes and seeing it from the outside since, depending on the time of day, the chapel is reflected in the Furnas Lagoon right in front of it. Perfect photo, don't you think?

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