The Chapel of Souls

The Chapel of Souls

The Porto audio-guided tour presents you with the Chapel of Souls, one of the most charming of the city, whose façades are entirely covered with azulejos.

An immense canvas of azulejos

Set in this place since the beginning of the eighteenth century, in the midst of the commercial bustle of the Rua Santa Catarina, the Chapel of Souls catches the eye with its so artistic façades. More than its interior, it is its some sixteen thousand azulejos, those typically Portuguese decorated faience tiles, laid in 1929, that make all the interest of the site. This immense composition of more than three hundred and sixty square metres illustrates scenes of the life of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine, both venerated in this place. The blue and white of these azulejos make it one of the most photographed buildings of Porto.

What there is to see

The Chapel of Souls invites contemplation and marvels with its blue and white façades, an immense canvas of azulejos telling the life of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine. Amid the signs of the Rua Santa Catarina, it surprises and delights the eye. It is one of the most emblematic images of Porto, to be admired along the walk.

Practical information

The Chapel of Souls is on the Rua Santa Catarina, in the centre of Porto. Its azulejo façades can be contemplated freely from the street; the interior, a place of worship, can be visited with respect for the services, according to hours to be checked on site.

What do the azulejos of the Chapel of Souls represent?

Scenes of the life of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine, on an immense composition of more than three hundred and sixty square metres.

When were the azulejos of the chapel laid?

In 1929, although the chapel has been in this place since the beginning of the eighteenth century.