St Benedito

The simulacrum of St Benedito Martyr is housed in its own urn beneath the altar of Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel—commonly known as the Chapel of the Relics—the second side chapel on the Epistle side of the Church of the former Convento de St António de Varatojo, in Torres Vedras (Lisbon district and diocese). A wooden plaque on the front of the urn bears the Latin inscription

“CORPUS BENEDICTI MARTYRIS”

This simulacrum is notable for being the most recent example identified in Portugal, according to the compiled inventory.

Although no official documentation has been found regarding its donation or transfer to the church, a detailed account of the acquisition in Rome is published in the “Boletim Mensal” das missões Franciscanas e Ordem Terceira, written by Fr. Alexandre dos Santos (O.F.M.) in 1948. In that account, it is reported that during the third and final journey to Rome of Infanta D. Isabel Maria de Bragança (b. 1801 – d. 1876), daughter of King João VI and former regent of Portugal, Pope Pius IX (r. 1846–d. 1878) offered the simulacrum of St Benedito to Her Highness, in the presence of her chaplain.

In February 2025, the urn was opened to allow for the examination and study of its contents. This intervention included the careful extraction of the simulacrum, the collection of samples for analysis, 3D digital scanning, radiographic imaging, and endoscopic observation of the internal structure. The process was thoroughly documented and accompanied by photographic recording, as shown below.

Santos (O.F.M.), A. dos. (1948). O corpo de S. Benedito mártir na Igreja do Varatojo (Leitura amena). Boletim Mensal. Missões Franciscanas e Ordem Terceira, XLI(1^o), 223–226.