In the parish of Faial, in the municipality of Santana, on the north coast of Madeira, there is a small rock, excavated on the site of the farm, which has become a place of worship, the Capela da Penha or also called the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Penha de França.
It is a small, isolated building of popular religious architecture that fits into the so-called Mannerist style. It is distinguished from other chapels by the fact that its nave is carved out of a large rock.
It has a longitudinal floor plan, facing east. The nave culminates in a white-painted main façade with a round-arched portal in red stonework from the Cabo Girão region, surmounted by a Latin cross also in red stonework from Cabo Girão, flanked by a bell tower with a gilded bronze bell.
The foundation is made of reddish stonework from the rock on which the chapel is built, and the date 1685 also stands out on the portal.
Inside the chapel, apart from the fact that the space is carved out of the rock, there is a small main altarpiece with an image of the patron saint.
Its foundation dates back to the 17th century, by an unknown author. However, it was in 1685 that the chapel of Our Lady of Penha de França was established by António Teixeira Dória, the 5th grandson of the 1st Captain of the Donatory of Machico.
The earliest excavations, before the chapel was sacralised, were probably carried out by escaped slaves who found a place of spiritual refuge there. The subject, which is poorly documented, has occupied some researchers in Madeira's history and archaeology. In the first decades of settlement, back in the 15th century, it was not uncommon for slaves to escape, occupying the island's inaccessible mountains and trying to hide here and get on with their lives.
In 1984, the Pilgrimage of Penha de França was re-established as a Catholic pilgrimage, which takes place on the third Sunday in October.
This interesting building and the natural beauty of the municipality of Santana deserve a long visit so that you can enjoy all the magic and beauty of the natural landscapes that this municipality has to offer.
