Capela das Almas

Capela das Almas stands in Porto and is also known as Capela de Santa Catarina. Its present building dates from the late eighteenth century. It replaced an older wooden chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine and retains that devotion alongside Saint Francis of Assisi. Its two sections form a simple stepped profile. Blue-and-white azulejos cover the exterior in large panels showing scenes from the lives of both saints. Those blue exterior tiles were installed in 1929. Eduardo Leite designed the panels, which combine painted ceramic surfaces with religious scenes. The façade has a circular pediment and a divided coat of arms. A two-level bell tower rises on the left, with four upper windows, a small balcony and an iron cross. A nineteenth-century stained-glass window here represents the souls. Inside, neoclassical altars honour Our Lady of Fátima, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Sorrows and other saints. The interior includes an eighteenth-century image of Our Lady of the Souls. Together, neoclassical interiors, azulejo panels and stained glass connect several periods of Portuguese religious art.