Nossa Senhora da Peneda Sanctuary

The lovely Peneda Sanctuary is located in Gaviera, in Arco de Valdevez.

It was probably built in the end of the 18th century, as it is engraved in a column on the top of the access stairway.

It is believed that in this place a small chapel was built in order to remember the apparition of Our Lady of Peneda, which cult developed and motivated the construction of the sanctuary.

This worship place is constituted by the Virtue Stairway, with statues representing Faith, Charity and Glory, dated from 1854, the main Church, finished in 1875, the evangelists yard and the stairway with around 300 meters and 20 chapels with scenes of Christ life.

The Senhora da Peneda Festivity takes place every year for a week, in between the 31st August and the 8th September.


Peneda Legend
Our Lady of Peneda appeared on the 5th August 1220 to a shepherd child. Our Lady appeared in a form of a white dove and told the child to ask to the Gaviera inhabitant to build in that same place a chapel.
The shepherd little girl told her parents, yet they did not believe her.
On the following day, in the same place, again appeared Our Lady, yet in the form of the image that is now known, and ask the child to go to Roussas and bring lady that was paralytic for 18 years. As she came close to the image she got her health back.