Located in the heart of Porto, at the corner of Rua de Santa Catarina and Rua Fernandes Tomás, Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls) , also known as Capela de Santa Catarina, is a popular destination for tourists. Although it is a small chapel, its exterior is one of the most photographed in Porto because of its captivating tilework, which narrates stories from the lives of two important saints of the Catholic Church: St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Francis of Assisi. Although these two saints have no direct connection to each other, their individual stories are fascinating.
A Bit of History
A wooden chapel dedicated to St. Catherine existed at this location in the 18th century. Later, the Brotherhood of the Souls and the Wounds of Saint Francis moved here from the Monastery of Santa Clara and became associated with the existing chapel. This brought St. Francis of Assisi into a chapel already dedicated to St. Catherine, explaining the association of these two otherwise unrelated saints with Capela das Almas.
The present chapel also dates from the 18th century, although sources vary on exactly when it was constructed. At that time, its exterior walls were relatively plain and lacked the elaborate blue-and-white azulejo decoration for which the chapel is known today.
Placed by the Câmara Municipal do Porto (Porto City Council) near the entrance to the chapel, the plaque shown in the image provides a brief history of Capela das Almas both in Portuguese and English. Click on the image to read the text.
Note: This plaque serves as the primary confirming source for much of the historical background covered in this post and other Capela das Almas pages, and is included here as a reference for readers who want to see the original documentation firsthand.
According to the plaque, the blue-and-white azulejos covering the exterior were added in 1929. Designed by Eduardo Leite and manufactured by Fábrica de Cerâmica Viúva Lamego in Lisbon, the tilework was modeled on the classic blue-and-white Portuguese azulejo style of the 18th century.
Although I did not visit the interior of the chapel, the information on the plaque provides a brief description of it. The Neoclassical altars are dedicated to Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Our Lady of Fátima), Sagrado Coração de Jesus (Sacred Heart of Jesus), Nossa Senhora das Dores (Our Lady of Sorrows), Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), and São João (St. John). The plaque also notes an 18th-century image of Nossa Senhora das Almas (Our Lady of Souls) housed inside — the devotional figure from which the chapel’s popular name, Capela das Almas, derives. These dedications are largely separate from the stories of St. Catherine and St. Francis depicted on the exterior. The main altarpiece, depicting the Ascension, is attributed to the Portuguese painter Joaquim Rafael.
The Azulejo-Covered Exterior
Photographed from the intersection of Rua de Santa Catarina and Rua Fernandes Tomás, this corner view of Capela das Almas shows both its main façade and lateral wall decorated with beautiful blue-and-white azulejo tiles.
Within the pediment above the entrance is an emblem combining symbols associated with St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine. Attached to the left side of the façade is the bell tower, which is also decorated with blue-and-white tiles. Unlike the narrative panels elsewhere on the chapel, the tilework here is primarily decorative, incorporating cherubs, floral motifs, and ornamental patterns.
As seen in the image, the main façade and the long right lateral wall are almost completely covered with azulejos. The main wooden entrance is flanked by two large narrative panels: the one on the left depicts St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, while the one on the right depicts the Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine. The extensive lateral wall continues the narrative with additional episodes from the lives of the two saints.
The panels on the lateral wall depict episodes from the lives of St. Catherine and the Franciscan friar St. Francis of Assisi, not because the chapel was founded with two joint patrons, but because its iconography reflects two distinct threads of its history: its original dedication to St. Catherine, and the Franciscan brotherhood that later merged into it.
The panels can be broadly divided into two groups: those illustrating the life of St. Catherine of Alexandria and those depicting the life of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Life of St. Catherine of Alexandria
St. Catherine of Alexandria is one of the most revered female saints, venerated as the patron saint of students, philosophers, and teachers. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in the late 3rd century into a wealthy and possibly noble family, Catherine was highly educated and became known for her intelligence and eloquence. She converted to Christianity as a young woman and dedicated herself completely to Christ.
According to Christian tradition, during the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Maxentius in the early 4th century, Catherine openly challenged the emperor for his treatment of Christians. She was made to defend her faith before fifty pagan philosophers assembled specifically to refute her arguments, only to persuade them to convert to Christianity instead.
Unable to persuade Catherine to renounce her faith, the emperor ordered her to be tortured on a spiked breaking wheel. According to legend, the wheel broke when Catherine touched it, giving rise to one of her best-known attributes, the “Catherine wheel.” She was subsequently beheaded. Tradition further holds that angels carried her body to Mount Sinai, where the Monastery of St. Catherine was later named in her honor.
Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine
Situated to the right of the main door of Capela das Almas, the azulejo panel shown in the image depicts the Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine of Alexandria.
According to Christian tradition, Catherine experienced a vision in which the Christ Child placed a ring on her finger, symbolizing her spiritual union with Christ and her complete dedication to the Christian faith. Known as the Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine, the episode became one of the most frequently painted subjects in Christian art.
The scene has three main figures: the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and St. Catherine, and represents the spiritual marriage of St. Catherine to Christ.
The Virgin Mary, wearing a crown and seated on a throne, holds the Christ Child on her lap. The Christ Child reaches out to St. Catherine, holding a ring in his left hand. St. Catherine bows before them with crossed hands, in a gesture of half-kneeling on the step below. Her eyes are almost closed, and her serene expression conveying utmost devotion to Christ.
Resting over Catherine’s left shoulder is a palm frond, the traditional emblem of martyrdom in Christian art, typically carried by saints who died for their faith. Its presence on her shoulder indicates the fate that would follow, even as she is honored as Christ’s bride. Flying above are angels witnessing this spiritual marriage.
Notice two objects at the bottom left: part of a wheel with spokes, and a sword resting against it. These two objects symbolize her martyrdom, the wheel represents the instrument on which she was condemned to be tortured, while the sword represents her eventual execution by beheading.
Episodes from the Life of St. Catherine
The image shows the left section of the lateral wall of Capela das Almas, covered with azulejo panels depicting important episodes in the life of St. Catherine of Alexandria.
St. Catherine in Debate
Inscribed “A discussão de Catharina” (“The Debate of Catherine”), this panel, located at the bottom of the lateral wall’s left section, depicts one of the best-known episodes in the legend of St. Catherine: her debate in Alexandria, Egypt, against fifty pagan philosophers summoned by the Roman emperor Maxentius to challenge her Christian faith.
As seen in the image, Catherine stands at the center, holding a staff-like object in her right hand and a book in her left—attributes that emphasize her learning and steadfast faith. Beside her, a seated bald figure appears to be writing, while a turbaned man looks on. The emperor, seated on his throne to the left, gestures toward Catherine as the debate unfolds. In the background, a separate space opens onto a group of onlookers watching the exchange.
The scene suggests that Catherine is confidently holding her own in a debate she was never expected to win. Above the loggia, Christ appears in a burst of light surrounded by cherubs, with one hand raised in blessing—a sign of divine support for Catherine during her trial. According to legend, Catherine’s arguments were so persuasive that the philosophers converted to Christianity instead, leading to their own martyrdom for the faith they had just embraced.
Angel Announcing Catherine’s Victory
The panel at the top of the lateral wall’s left section is inscribed “A victoria de Sta Catarina é lhe annunciada por um anjo” (“St. Catherine’s victory is announced to her by an angel”). Catherine’s “victory” appears to refer to her triumph over the pagan philosophers, whose debate with her is depicted in the large azulejo panel below. As seen in the image, an angel descends toward Catherine to announce her victory. The scene can also be understood within the broader Christian tradition of Catherine’s martyrdom, in which ultimate victory comes not through earthly survival but through remaining steadfast in her faith and attaining spiritual triumph through death.
The Martyrdom of St. Catherine of Alexandria
Located on the left section of the lateral wall of Capela das Almas, this azulejo panel depicts the martyrdom of St. Catherine of Alexandria, its identity confirmed by the inscription at the bottom, “Sta Catarina é suppliciada” (“St. Catherine is put to execution”).
In the foreground, a group of turbaned, bearded men in Eastern dress stand behind Catherine, one of them apparently holding the sword with which she is about to be beheaded. In front of her, three female figures—two women and a child—hold a cloth. Note: The sword is not visible in this photograph because a pedestrian signal mounted in front of the wall blocks that portion of the scene.
In the background, a walled town with a castle is visible. Nearby are three soldiers, two mounted and one standing, with two other figures who appear to be under their control. Beside them is a large wheel mounted on a horizontal axle between two wooden supports. This is a reference to the breaking wheel on which Catherine was originally condemned to be tortured. According to legend, the wheel miraculously shattered before it could kill her, after which she was sentenced to death by beheading.
Two angels appear in the clouds above the scene, likely alluding to the tradition that, following Catherine’s martyrdom, angels carried her body to Mount Sinai. According to legend, her remains were eventually associated with the monastery there that now bears her name.
The Life of St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1181–1226) is one of the most venerated saints of the Catholic Church and is known throughout the world as the founder of the Franciscan religious order. Born in Assisi, Italy, Francis was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant and enjoyed an affluent lifestyle until war, imprisonment, illness, and a series of religious experiences changed the course of his life. Abandoning his former way of life, he devoted himself to prayer, poverty, and service to the poor and sick. He advocated humility, charity, peace, and respect for all God’s creation. His love for nature and animals is also well known, reflected in traditions such as his sermon to the birds.
His greatest achievement was the founding of the religious movement that would become the Franciscan Order. The final Rule governing the Order of Friars Minor received papal approval from Pope Honorius III in 1223. The following year, Francis is said to have experienced one of the most important events of his life. While praying at Mount La Verna, he received the stigmata—the wounds of Christ’s Crucifixion appearing on his own body. Traditionally regarded as the first recorded instance of a Christian receiving the stigmata, the event became one of the most recognizable episodes of his life and has been depicted in different artistic media in churches throughout the world.
Two years after receiving the stigmata, Francis died near Assisi in 1226 and was canonized just two years later, in 1228, by Pope Gregory IX. The Basilica of St. Francis was subsequently built in Assisi, where his remains are preserved. The Franciscan movement he founded continues throughout the world today.
His story unfolds across the same lateral wall, continuing past Catherine’s sequence:
St. Francis Embracing Christ on the Cross
This panel depicts St. Francis embracing the crucified Christ, who leans down from the cross toward him, a composition based on Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s painting Saint Francis Embracing Christ on the Cross (1668–1669, now in the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville), originally created for the Capuchin monastery church in that city.
An important detail retained from Murillo’s painting is the globe beneath St. Francis’s right foot. It symbolizes his renunciation of worldly possessions and earthly attachments in favor of a life devoted completely to Christ. In Murillo’s original painting, two cherubs hold an open book containing words associated with the Gospel of Luke: “Whoever does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
The azulejo panel retains the central image of Francis embracing Christ but expands Murillo’s composition. Four additional figures, two on either side, witness the embrace, while an angel appears in the clouds above. The two women on the right are likely the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, and as seen in the image, one of them gestures toward the landscape.
This panel keeps the basic spirit of Murillo’s painting but includes additional figures to emphasize the importance of the event.
St. Francis Preaching Before Pope Honorius III
The tile carries the inscription “S. Francisco prega em presença de Honorio III” (“St. Francis preaches in the presence of Honorius III”), clearly identifying the episode depicted in the panel.
As seen in the image, St. Francis, identified by the halo around his head, stands before Pope Honorius III, who is seated wearing the papal tiara amid a gathering of cardinals and Franciscan friars. At the bottom of the scene, an attendant appears to record the proceedings in a book.
Appearing in the clouds above the gathering are Jesus and the Virgin Mary, surrounded by angels. A cross is also visible beside Jesus, giving the earthly meeting below a heavenly setting.
Historically, Francis traveled to Rome around 1209–1210 to seek papal approval for his way of life, centered on poverty, humility, and preaching. However, the pope he met on that occasion was Innocent III, who gave Francis and his followers oral approval. Pope Honorius III later formally approved the final Rule of the Order of Friars Minor in 1223, allowing the movement to grow well beyond Francis’s own lifetime. The azulejo panel therefore depicts a separate tradition of Francis preaching in the presence of Honorius III rather than his first journey to Rome seeking papal approval.
St. Francis Preaching to the Birds and the Miracle of the Spring
This azulejo panel shown in the image contains two stories: a small oval-shaped cartouche at the top depicting St. Francis Preaching to the Birds, and a larger panel below illustrating the Miracle of the Spring.
Preaching to the Birds
This scene is based on one of the episodes narrated in the Fioretti (“Little Flowers of St. Francis”), a collection of legends about St. Francis that includes stories illustrating his love for the natural world. Although no inscription accompanies the scene, the iconography is unmistakable.
As seen in the image, St. Francis stands in an outdoor setting surrounded by trees, gesturing toward the birds flying around him as if he is preaching to them. Below him, a half-kneeling friar looks up at Francis with his hands folded in prayer.
The Miracle of the Spring
The larger panel carries the inscription “O jacto milagroso de uma fonte” (“The miraculous jet of a spring”), identifying the scene as the Miracle of the Spring. The composition is based on Giotto’s fresco of the same subject, part of his Legend of St. Francis cycle painted between 1297 and 1300 in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, a landmark work of the Proto-Renaissance.
According to one legend, Francis was traveling toward La Verna with a poor man who had lent him a donkey. The man became extremely thirsty, and Francis prayed; water then miraculously sprang from the rock, allowing the man to drink.
As seen in the image, Francis kneels in prayer on rocky, mountainous terrain. Below him, a thirsty traveler is on all fours, drinking from the water miraculously flowing from the rocks. Giotto also depicts the man drinking directly from the spring in essentially the same posture as in this azulejo panel.
The two figures beside Francis are his companion friars, witnessing the miracle. Above, a reclining figure appears among the clouds with one arm extended toward Francis, accompanied by a small winged cherub, appears to witness the scene.
According to another legend, Francis was traveling through the countryside with his companion friars when he came upon a group of reapers, exhausted and thirsty from working under the scorching summer sun. Moved by compassion, he struck the dry ground, and a jet of fresh water miraculously gushed out for them to drink. The site associated with this tradition is known today as Fonte di San Francesco, later also called San Francescuccio, near Bastia Umbra in Italy.
St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata
Situated to the left of the main entrance, this large azulejo panel depicts St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, a popular theme rendered in different artistic media, including stained glass and azulejo tilework, in Catholic churches around the world.
This event is said to have taken place in 1224 on Mount La Verna, a remote mountain in Italy, where Francis was praying and fasting. He experienced a vision of a seraph—a six-winged angelic being—bearing the image of the crucified Christ. Following the vision, wounds resembling those suffered by Christ during the Crucifixion appeared on Francis’s hands, feet, and side. These wounds, known as the stigmata, remained with him until his death two years later.
According to traditional accounts, a friar named Brother Leo was nearby when the vision occurred, although he did not directly witness it. In the panel, another friar sits nearby with a book on his lap, apparently unaware of the miraculous event unfolding beside him. This figure likely represents Brother Leo.
As seen in the image, Francis kneels with his arms raised toward the vision above. Christ appears crucified within the six wings of a seraph, while thin rays extend from Christ toward Francis, visually representing the transmission of the stigmata. Visible in the distance are a town and a monastery on the hillside.
Another example of the depiction of the stigmata, rendered in stained glass, can be seen at Seville Cathedral‘s Capilla de San Francisco. Check this page more details: Seville Cathedral: St. Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata.
The Death of St. Francis of Assisi
Located on the right section of the lateral wall, this azulejo panel depicts the Death of St. Francis of Assisi, confirmed by the inscription at the bottom of the panel, “Morte de S. Francisco de Assis” (“Death of St. Francis of Assisi”). This is the final scene in the life of St. Francis of Assisi, narrated in sequence in the azulejo artwork.
As seen in the image, St. Francis is laid out on a draped bier within a beautiful church interior showing columns of the nave and an altar inside the apse. The scene is solemn, with grieving friars in Franciscan habits surrounding the body, some holding his hands and feet, others holding tall processional crosses, candles, and staffs. A bishop, identifiable by his mitre and crozier, stands at the head of the gathering, appearing to recite prayers from a book.
Above the death scene, a haloed figure with arms raised, surrounded by other haloed and winged figures, likely represents St. Francis’s soul attaining heavenly glory. This is a common convention in Christian art, pairing a heavenly counterpart with the earthly death scene.
With this panel, the St. Francis narrative traced across this chapel’s exterior, his embrace of the crucified Christ, his audience before Pope Honorius III, his preaching to the birds, his miracle of the spring, and his stigmata on Mount La Verna, reaches its conclusion.
The Last Word
Capela das Almas may be a small chapel, but its blue-and-white exterior is much more than meets the eye. Unlike my visits to other sites in Porto, such as Porto Cathedral and the Douro River, I didn’t spend a lot of time here. Yet, the chapel fascinated me and remained in my memory long after my visit.
It is remarkable how two unrelated individuals—a young woman from Alexandria in Egypt who lived in the 3rd and 4th centuries and the 12th-century son of a wealthy cloth merchant from Italy—became two of the most venerated saints of the Catholic Church and, centuries later, ended up being glorified together on the blue-and-white exterior of this small chapel in Porto.
Wedged between shopfronts and busy crosswalks, Capela das Almas is easy to admire simply for the beauty of its exterior while walking past. But a closer look reveals some of the remarkable stories of Christian tradition. St. Catherine‘s wheel and sword foreshadow her martyrdom, while scenes from the life of St. Francis depict his miracles, the stigmata, and finally his death. These centuries-old stories have been rendered in exquisite detail across the blue-and-white azulejo panels, one tile at a time.
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