The black prince’s chapel: An architectural record of the church of our lady of the gate of heaven

Abstract

Heritage buildings not only provide a living record of our social and cultural history but also make a positive contribution to our sense of place and our transnational identity. The four hundred year old church of Our Lady of the Gate of Heaven, Telheiras in the suburbs of Lisbon is an example of such a building. It is historically unique in relation to the religio-cultural and political affairs of Sri Lanka and Portugal during the overseas expansions of 16th and 17th centuries as it is presumed that this church and the convent is the only building erected in Europe by a Sri Lankan. It was originally built by Don Joao, known as the Black Prince, O Principe Negro in Portuguese sources, was a prince from Kandyan kingdom of Sri Lanka. He was the last male heir of the old Kandyan dynasty.

Don Joao, the Black Prince’s ancestry can be historically traced back to the period of the fall of Kotte kingdom and the emergence of the Kandyan kingdom. He was the son ofYamasinhaBandara who was placed on the throne of Kandyan kingdom in 1592. After Yamasinha’s sudden death his 12 year-old son Don Joao, was proclaimed as the king. But due to political instability in the region, he was forced to leave the kingdom and seek protection in Colombo from the Portuguese. They entrusted him to the care of the Portuguese Franciscans missionaries. Subsequently Don Joao was sent to Goa, which was his home for fifteen years, later he was ordained as sub deacon priest was called to Lisbon and finally he settled down at Telheiras where around 1625 he built this church and convent in appreciation of what the Franciscans had done for him.

The aim of this paper is to understand and document the historical evidence available in this church building and record the graphically-based historical information for research, publication and also for archival purpose