Altar at the Chapel of Our Lady of Pena
The Chapel of Our Lady of Pena in the Pena Palace is one of the few remaining original structures here in the Pena Palace. Parts of the original monastery have been destroyed in an earthquake and this later led to the construction of the present Pena Palace. One of the main sites at the Pena Palace is the chapel which is surprisingly small. Then again, this chapel was originally for use by the monks which wouldn’t have been that many to begin with. The inside of the chapel is a interesting combination of Manueline and Islamic styles.
Details at the Chapel of Our Lady of Pena in Pena Palace
The centerpiece of a church is usually the altar. This is no different in the Chapel of Our Lady of Pena. However, there seems to be something special in the altar. The design of the altar is not that different from the triumphal arches that I have seen elsewhere. This is probably the first time I have seen something like this in a church. The altarpiece is carved from alabaster and marble which depict scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. The altar protected by a clear barrier. From here you can see that there is still some space inside the chapel. There is a small choir area usually found in larger churches. It was interesting to see this since it felt more like a hidden area which most people won’t know about.
[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/PenaPalace.kmz} zoom=19]