Evangelists Ground
In the culminations of the park, at the top of the avenue and the hill, stands out the Three Chapels and Evangelists’ ground, built in the period 1747-1769, rocaille architecture, with its three hexagonal chapels, in hexagonal form, four fountains of back countercurved, at the end of which the sculptures of the four evangelists are erected, appearing on the spouts, inscriptions alluding to their writings, according to projects by André Soares.
All chapels and fountains in this area were run by the generosity and intelligence of the great benefactor Manuel Rebelo da Costa, between 1750 and 1765, executed by masons António Ferreira, Cristóvão José Farto, Caetano Lourenço, Francisco Soares and Manuel Vivas. The images for the chapels, according to the risk of Father Silvestre de Campos, were executed by António Monteiro and painted by Matias de Lis de Miranda, José Inácio, João Teixeira and son, José Galego and José Alves. Also sculpted were the four fountains, executed by Ambrósio dos Santos, José de Sousa, Custódio Luís Soares and Manuel Vivas.
The arrangement of these four fountains which, in 1771, were already flowing water, interspersed with the chapels, give the harmonious ground its octagonal shape, where, as a whole, the ornamentation, the proportions, the framing, the landscape and the imaginary arrangement stand out.
Since the third century, the authors of the four gospels have been called evangelists. From the fourth century, its symbols were fixed, João – Águia, Marcos – Leão, Lucas – Touro, and Mateus – Anjo ou Homem.
The architectural complex of this ground, with the circumspection of the monastic cloister, with its foutains and chapels of redundant rocaille style, populated these with insinuating sculptural groups, in its imaginary of popular affability, makes this terreiro one of the most desirable refuges of the beautiful resort, all the more so that, behind the Ascension chapel, one of the most attractive panoramic stretches of this privileged mountain, of Gerês baroque, with its shades and colors, is unveiled. The last 3 chapels are set on large skates and five steps above the ground: Christ’s Apparition to Madalena, Christ’s Ascension, and the Emaús Encounter.
This ground ends with the beauty and scenic majesty of the place, the grove and the landscape.
