Curious about a place where solemnity meets community spirit? Right here we find the Casa Mortuária da Afurada a space deeply intertwined with the lives of the people of Afurada.
The Casa Mortuária da Afurada is more than just a mortuary. It is a place of gathering. It serves the community during times of loss. Afurada itself is a former civil parish in Vila Nova de Gaia. In 2013 it merged into Santa Marinha e São Pedro da Afurada.
Afurada is near the mouth of the Douro River. Here it meets the Atlantic Ocean. This is a traditional fishing village. Its patron saint is Saint Peter. São Pedro is the Portuguese equivalent.
The people of Afurada are very devoted to St. Peter. Every year they celebrate a religious holiday in his name on June 29. People make processions. They pray and party throughout the night. Eating sardines baked with Broa de Avintes is customary. Broa de Avintes is a type of cornbread. Many fireworks light up the night sky.
During religious processions people carry images of saints. These are sometimes life-size. People worship them and make offerings. People often dress in traditional fishermen and fisherwomen clothes. They pay respect to their patron saint Peter. Other popular saints include Our Lady the Virgin Mary and Our Lady of Fátima. St. Michael the Archangel is also honored. Images of these saints are placed at the center of the village. St. Peter’s image is central. This is the former location of a church in his name. It was destroyed in a flood.
The church is a sacred place in Afurada along with Praceta de São Pedro and the fishing port. The fishing port unifies Afurada. It is not just functional. It is a place of devotion. The blessing of the boats happens here annually. It occurs at the end of the procession of São Pedro. This reinforces devotion to the patron saint. It also reinforces his connection to the fishing activity.
The first chapel in Afurada dedicated to São Pedro was built between 1894 and 1908. This was thanks to the work of João José de Almeida. On December 23 1909 the chapel was partially destroyed. The boat América crashed and sank.
After the floods of December 1909 the Chapel of São Pedro was rebuilt. It was rebuilt in the same location. In 1969 a new church was built in a higher place. This led to the demolition of the chapel. This demolition caused a feeling of loss in the community. To mark the sacredness of the place an image of São Pedro was placed. This was in 1969 on a granite pedestal.
Authorization to build a parish church for Afurada was granted in 1951. The Bishop of Porto D. Agostinho de Jesus e Sousa gave permission. The work was a final exam theme for students at the Escola de Belas Artes do Porto. The final project resulted from the best solutions presented.
Carlos Ramos was chosen to readapt the old building into the new parish church. He was the Director of the Escola de Belas Artes do Porto. The works began with two important aspects. The first was the choice of site for the new church. One idea was to build the new church in front of the Casa dos Pescadores. The second idea was to locate it in the square where the clotheslines were. The president of the municipality did not authorize this. As a solution the building of the old guano factory was used. It was later a mica factory. The Junta Central das Casas dos Pescadores had acquired it.
The body of the existing building was used. The wall structure and the roof timbers were maintained. The roof was raised enough to allow openings above the walls. The choir the altar and the throne were made new. There was an intention to build a bell tower. It would project its presence into the estuary of the river. It would also project into the rural interior. However the idea was not realized. The tower stands next to the church.
The first stone of the parish church was blessed on April 22 1954. The church was inaugurated on July 10 1955. A majestic river procession preceded it. It went from Ribeira to Afurada. D. António Ferreira Gomes Bishop of Porto presided.
The images executed by the sculptor Altino Maia stand out. Also the crucifix and the Via Sacra. The sculptures arrived in Afurada by boat. They were transported from one bank to the other by fishing boats. In 2021 the building was redeveloped. This aimed to give the building greater dignity.
So as you stand before the Casa Mortuária da Afurada remember you are at a place of community. It is linked to the traditions and faith of Afurada’s people. It is a space of respect and remembrance in a vibrant fishing village.