Senhor da Pedra

The Chapel of the Lord of the Stone is in the middle of the beach and that is why many people come to see it because they are surprised that it is there. To be able to witness such a different scene we must go to Miramar Beach a few kilometers from Porto, between the cities of Espinho and Vila Nova de Gaia.It is located on top of a rock that measures seven meters and was built in 1686 with a hexagonal floor plan. The interior has three Rococo style altars presided over by a crucified Christ, another of the Virgin of Fatima and the last with the image of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Its origin is surrounded by legends such as that the inhabitants of Gulpihares wanted to build the chapel in another place. But a reflection of a light began to appear on a rock on the beach and every night it was repeated, so they believed it was a sign from heaven and finally the chapel was located on that rock.Another legend says that this chapel was built as a thank you to God by a sailor who was miraculously saved when he almost died at sea. But that's not all, as a final legend says that a priest from the parish of Gulpihares wanted to put an end to pagan rites and that's why he built the chapel. Previously, a pagan temple could have been located in the same place, although there is no clear evidence, only an inscription on a mosaic at the entrance to the building.Every year there is a pilgrimage and a festival to commemorate the ancestral past and on the last day there is a procession led by women with a secret identity, from the city centre to the chapel.