In the fifth arc of the Águas Livres. The tiles of the Royal Pottery Factory of Rato of the Chapel Our Lady of Monserrate

Abstract

The Our Lady of Monserrate hermitage chapel, which construction began in 1761, was sacred on the 15th of August 1768, the patroness’ feast day. It still preserves the essential of the original artistic program. The chapel was built inside one of the arches of the Águas Livres Aqueduct by the silk manufacturers in the context of the urban project of the quarter and of the Praça Nova das Fábricas. It is part of the large complex of the Real Fábrica das Sedas (Silk Royal Factory). In its interior, the blue and white tiles, which were ordered in 1783, represent one of the rare documented and in situ ensembles of the production of the Real Fábrica da Louça do Rato (Pottery Royal Factory of Rato). The study of the building, of the Brotherhood’s organization and of the tiles with symbols of the Cult of the Virgin Mary is crucial for understanding the production of the Real Fábrica da Louça.