Casa de Misericordia

In the town of Olivenza, we find this chapel, on which building work began in 1548, but it was not until 1732 that it was finished as we know it today. The building was a project by the sisterhood founded in 1501 and its function was to give food to the poor and orphans, and also to help invalids.

You enter the chapel through a door with a marble lintel, with Tuscan columns holding a smooth entablature with a triangular pediment containing the Portuguese national coat of arms.

Once inside, you can see that it is made up of one sole nave and barrel vault. The main altar is separated from the rest by railings and three steps and, at its feet, the choir. Three altarpieces in Baroque style can also be seen.

What is surprising about the chapel is its tilework from 1723 that tells a story. The set of Baroque tiles, by Manuel dos Santos, reproduces the works of mercy, amongst which the panel representing "Clothe the naked" stands out.