The Portuguese Chapel of Albreda or just Albreda Chapel, also Portuguese Chapel of San Domingo, is the name given to a Catholic chapel built by Portuguese explorers in the fifteenth century in the area of
Albreda
Albreda is a historic settlement in the Gambia on the north bank of the Gambia River, variously described as a 'trading post' or a 'slave fort'. It is located near Jufureh in the North Bank Division and an arch stands on the beach connecting the ...
which is now a part of the African country of
Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
. It is currently in ruins and was stabilized for protection in 2000.
It is one of the oldest buildings in
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
, was declared a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by
Unesco
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
,
along with six other places like James Island (James Island and Related Sites) from 2003. Before 1995 the remains were under the protection under the national monument status. The space under the protection of the Portuguese chapel in Albreda as world heritage has an area of 0,006 hectares.
The remains of the chapel (sometimes called a church) are about 100 meters west of the settlement of Albreda, a former
French possession. Slightly more than 50 percent of the walls are still present. The back wall is still in its entirety. In its top a metal cross can be seen.
See also
*
Roman Catholicism in the Gambia
*
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the l ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portuguese Chapel, Church
Roman Catholic churches in the Gambia
15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings