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Nuno Alvares Pereira

In Portuguese:
Life of the Santo Condestavel
and
Mensagem de Fernando Pessoa


Kalissimo : French and English books in particular the beautiful collection from Mazenod editor
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Virginia Manso Sertã_Portugal photoset Virginia Manso presents  Sertã_Portugal photoset






The legend of the serpent - Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (XVI century).


Nossa Senhora dos Remédios was called in the past The Lady of the Center as it is located near the town of Sertã a Municipality in the center of the Portugal (Serra da Melriça).

The 14th and 15th of August, Nossa Senhora dos Remédios host believers in a pilgrimage with torch-light procession around the esplanade, the 15th being particularly impressive when pilgrims and other people say goodbye to the Virgin with handkerchiefs.

Nossa Senhora dos Remédios host the sword of Blessed Nuno Álvares Pereira born in Cernache de Bonjardim, near Sertã, Portugal.

Shoot, you will kill it !

According to Priest Padre Antonio Lourenço Farinha in "Sertã e o seu Concelho", Pinho Leal wrote in 1874 :
"This church has the following tradition: a noble was at hunting when he faced a tremendous serpent that lived in the center of the thick weeds that existed there. Horrified with such appearance, he climbed up a tree top and taken by a great fear, invoked the assistance of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios and asked the Lady with such a faith that she heard him because suddenly he felt so much encouraged that soon he loaded the rifle and with high firmness and happiness, he shot the 'horrible animal', killing it immediately.

In recognition he made build this church and he endowed it with goods, after his death. For memory, near the altar where its image is placed, there is the jaw of the serpent, that surely is one meter long".

 
Azulejos - Tile panel representing the death of the serpent at Senhora dos Remédios 
in the wall of the chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios - © Virginia Manso

Every August, the population celebrates a pilgrimage
 
The parish
Order of the Temple

The lateral door of the church has a Temple Cross recorded on granit that must have belonged to the first church built there by the Members of the Order.

The church

In 1730 the parish had the following places: Casal d'Horta, Ladeiras, Cardim, Casal do Moniz, Pinhal Fundeiro, Pinhal Cimeiro, Abegoaria, Montinho, Nogueirinha, Outeiro das Colheres, Carrascal, Valada, Boais, Ramalhosa, Portela dos Bezerrins, Farpado, Casal da Cerejeira, Casal do Fidalgo ou do Gomes, Pederneira, Mosteiro Cimeiro, Mosteiro Fundeiro, Pombas e Machial da Carreira. It would have then a total of 295 inhabitants.

The Priest Manso de Lima says that in its time the remaining portions of old architecture still existed in the houses of the chaplain and in the surround or yards of the chapel, the foundations of the convent of Saint Maria that the Order of the Temple would have had there - there are some discussions about the place as by Saint Maria convent, we could understand the one of Seixo in the parish of Castelo according to Priest Antonio Lourenço Farinha.

The church was called Nossa Senhora do Olival until the 18th Century. People were very devoted and noble and Constable D. Nuno Alvares Pereira had a particular devotion toward it leaving there a wax of its size.