Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima

"All over the municipality of São Vicente, on the north coast of the island of Madeira, there are symbols, monuments and traditions that testify to this region's intense connection to faith. Therefore, it is not surprising that one of the municipality's ex-libris is a very peculiar religious monument, called Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fátima. Located at the top of a hill, this small temple, whose facades are painted white, contrasts with its green surroundings. Its unusual typology draws attention: it is a quadrangular building, shaped like a tower with a pronounced verticality, ending in a dome. Upon arriving at the Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima, which can be accessed via a staircase, visitors are faced with a striking landscape. On one side, the grandeur of the mountains covered by a dense forest cover, on the other, the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery is completed by the typical houses that dot the hillsides — with emphasis on the parish of São Vicente, which can be seen in its entirety here. This monument, considered an important part of the religious and cultural heritage of this region, was recently subject to a requalification process, where elements linked to religious worship and its iconic bell mechanism were recovered."