Chapel of the Virgin of the Pilgrim Mother
This elegant chapel built in the 18th century mixes baroque and neoclassical art, resulting in a symbol of this city.
Its floor plan is more than peculiar, as it is shaped like a scallop shell, which is the symbol of the pilgrim. Have you ever seen anything like this before? It is considered one of the symbolic and most important buildings in the city.
Inside, it houses the image of the Pilgrim Virgin, patron saint of the province of Pontevedra and of the Portuguese Way.
Recommendations:
On entering the chapel, look on the right hand side and you can admire a large mollusc shell that serves as a holy water font. It was brought from the Pacific Ocean by the sailor Casto Méndez Núñez!
In the atrium, notice the fountain with the statue of Teucro, the “founder” of the city.
Nearby places:
Pontevedra historic centre.
Nearby QRs:
More information in:
Tourist Office of the Xunta de Galicia
Websites of interest:
https://www.visit-pontevedra.com/es/que-ver/imprescindibles/capilla-de-la-peregrina
https://www.turismo.gal/recurso/-/detalle/3271/capela-da-virxe-peregrina?langId=es_ES&tp=8&ctre=31
Further information:
The history of this chapel has its origins in 1753, when a congregation dedicated to the worship of the Virgen del Camino was founded, which in turn gave rise to the Congregation of Our Lady of Refuge to the Divine Pilgrim and in 1757 an altar for the Pilgrim Virgin was made in the chapel of the Virgen del Camino, which entailed associated problems. The municipal government ordered the image to be removed from the chapel and it was moved to a wooden chapel next to the Trabancas gate. Two years later, construction of the chapel began. This construction was completed in 1792, following Antonio Souto’s project and paid for by the brotherhood of the same name, although the atrium was built later. The first mass celebrated here took place on 2 August 1794.
In 1795, after a storm damaged the chapel, part of the north tower was destroyed and it was restored in 1873, with the installation of two lightning rods. Due to changes in the city itself, the atrium was replaced by a staircase that today is full of people taking photos of its beautiful façade.
In 1981 the Sanctuary was restored by César Portela and Xosé Bar Boo, and in 2007 and 2008 it was extensively restored due to the damage it had suffered. In 2011 it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.
In the atrium there is a fountain with the statue of Teucro.
Its rarity lies above all in the fact that it has a scallop-shaped floor plan with a cross-shaped ending. On the façade we find the figures of San Roque, Santiago Apostol and Santa María. The central image is the patron saint, from the 19th century.
The tower clock comes from the Hospital de San Xoán de Dios. The floor is made of marble, donated in 1964 by Manuel Durán.