At this event we will walk in an area very close to Lisbon, but where there is no shortage of reasons to be interested, such as the wide-ranging views from the Serra de Montejunto to the Serra de Sintra, different panoramas of the Loures Valley and Montemor, with its chapel, where we'll take advantage of its square for a break in the middle of the walk. After Montemor we'll start our descent to the starting point, next to the Loures Mother Church, but before the end we'll still be able to see the gardens of the Palácio do Correio-Mor. Another event not to be missed!

Chapel of Our Lady of Health:

According to tradition, following a terrible outbreak of the plague that began in Lisbon on 15 October 1598, which soon spread to most of the kingdom, killing many people, and lasting for about five years, many people from Lisbon fled the city, seeking the pure air of the surrounding villages, such as this small village in the Loures floodplain, situated on the top of a small hill (hence its name of Montemor).

Several families from Lisbon then came to Montemor, bringing one of them an image of Our Lady (which is still venerated in the chapel today), to which they immediately built a small chapel or niche, promising to enlarge it if the plague ended.

In 1603, the contagion ended, and they didn't forget their vow: they immediately had a chapel built, which the devotion of the faithful later expanded. The image of the Virgin then came to be worshipped as Our Lady of Health; several other shrines dedicated to Our Lady under this invocation date from this period (see, for example, the Chapel of Our Lady of Health in Sacavém).

The walls of the chancel were covered in tiles from the beginning, and in 1626, the brothers of the Confraternity of the Lady had the body of the chancel covered in tiles, as can be seen from the inscription on the same tiles. Around 1700, a fine gilded tribune was added.

In front of the chapel there is a porch with its atrium, from where you can enjoy an expansive and beautiful panorama. The ceiling of this porch is set on four square marble columns, with this inscription in the centre architrave: “ESTE ALPENDRE MANDOU MADE MIGUEL TOSTADO DA MAIA AT HIS COST IN THE YEAR 1621”.”

Palace of the Postmaster General:

Built in the 18th century, the name of this palace comes from the fact that it belonged to Luís Gomes da Mata, Postmaster General during the time of Philip II. It was probably designed by the Italian António Canevari (one of the architects of the Mafra Convent), who conceived a U-shaped façade, surrounded by a high wall with a brass-plated door leading to the courtyard. Inside we find a succession of magnificent rooms where the tiles and stucco ceilings with paintings by José da Costa Negreiros stand out, while the staircase leading up to the noble floor features a beautiful 18th century fountain. The gardens are characterised by waterfalls and tiles depicting mythological scenes (Property of Public Interest).

Quinta do Correio Mor is a 130-hectare property in the municipality of Loures, which includes an 18th-century palace.

Note: The walk does not include a visit to the Palácio do Correio-Mor.

- Walk in the countryside, at the gates of Lisbon - Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Saúde - Mother Church of Loures (Santa Maria) - Gardens of the Palácio do Correio-Mor - Montemor village - Natural landscapes -