Stepping inside the quiet sanctuary of the Real Capela de Nossa Senhora de Monserrate near Rato is truly interesting.

The chapel's story began in 1602, born as a humble hermitage founded by a French brotherhood of silk weavers who settled in the neighbourhood to establish the local textile industry. Recognising its growing spiritual importance to the community, King João V later elevated it to a royal chapel, granting it special status and patronage.

The most fascinating chapter of its history came in the 1700s during the construction of the Águas Livres Aqueduct. Instead of tearing down the existing temple, builders remarkably engineered a massive stone arch directly over and around the chapel, integrating it entirely into the water system’s infrastructure.

This structural shield famously protected the sacred space from collapsing during the devastating 1755 earthquake. Still functioning today as an active house of worship, it stands as a living, breathing monument to centuries of continuous faith.