Saint Longuin

An 18th-century gilt and polychrome sculpture portrays Saint Longuin, the Roman Centurion, on the right side of the entrance arch. This represents a new taste in the 18th century, namely the beginning of a theatre-like taste in the decoration of churches in Portugal. The sculpture shows a dynamic posture which matches with the baroque scenery of the chapel. Longuin displays the spear with which he pierced Christ’s chest, after His death on the Cross. The tradition tells that Longuin was deeply moved by Christ’s death on the cross, so he became a Christian follower.