Our Lady of the Conception of São Filipe

🌹 Wonders and anecdotes

• The building of the temple is commonly dated in 1655, although the oldest sources of the Instituto do Património Cultural de Cabo Verde point out that the first building of stone and lime at the site can go back to the end of the 15th century, linked to the first Portuguese settlements on the island of Fogo from 1462.
• Just twenty-five years after the conclusion of the church, the great eruption of 1680 radically transformed the island: the lava stream gave it the definitive name "Fogo" ("fire"), but the city of São Filipe and its temple survived and preserved their original names, becoming a living witness of the resistance of faith to the forces of nature.
• The temple occupies the northern side of the square Alberto da Silva, the heart of the historic center of São Filipe declared a heritage of national interest; in front of the famous leftovers, two-story colonial houses with flying balconies and large French windows that define the unique architecture of the city.
• The invocation of the Immaculate Conception is deeply rooted in the Caboverdian archipelago: since the time of Portuguese evangelization, Cape Verde has chosen the Virgin of the Conception as the patron of many parishes, and the holiday of December 8 is one of the most celebrated throughout the nation.
• São Filipe is the capital of the homonymous municipality and seat of the only diocese of Cape Verde, the Diocese of Santiago de Cape Verde; the parish of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is the parent church of the Catholic community of Fogo, also known for hosting the Pico do Fogo volcano, one of the most active in the Atlantic.