Around 1440, from the writings of friar Agostinho de Santa Maria, the construction of a small chapel to Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of the Conception) was built by a hermit named Joanne Anes, on this site.

[1] On 28 July 1515, King Manuel elevated the settlement of Água de Pau to the status of town, that consisted of half a league of land, de-annexing the territory from Vila Franca.

[1] During these events, Jorge de Mota, a knight in the service of the Aviz, who lived in an estate with houses, orchards and chapel (dedicated to São João Baptista) recounted an episode when his daughter, a devout person, and her travelling companion, Isabel Afonso (a native of Braga or Ponte de Lima) had come to São Miguel with her husband Rodrigo Afonso and niece.

Later, discovering where his daughters were, Jorge da Mota did what he could to convince the girls to return to his estate, but they reluctantly remained in the hermitage for the next six months, owing to the events of the earthquake and landslide in Vila Franca.

[1] The island's third Captain-donatário, Rui Gonçalves da Câmara, then began to take care of the house, obtaining a papal bull and permission to erect a monastery, of which he and his wife, D. Filipa Coutinho, became patrons.

[1] On 16 July 1533, Pope Clement VIII determined the creation of a monastery, to Santo André in Vila Franca do Campo, housing 40 nuns, many of whom came from the same Vale de Cabaços.

[1] It was these same nuns and staff that eventually abandoned the shelter on 23 April 1540 to found the monastery of Nossa Senhora da Esperança in Ponta Delgada, taking with them the image of Senhor Santo Cristo.

[1][2] This image had been offered by Pope Paul III to two of the sisters from Vale de Cabaços who had travelled to Rome to solicit the erection of the Ponta Delgada monastery.

[1][2] The current chapel was constructed in the 17th century, and linked to the date inscribed on a panel representing Father Diogo da Madre de Deus, on the left side of the nave (1630).

On the feast day of Nossa Senhora da Consolação (Our Lady of Consolation), the image (which was transferred from Furnas) was moved to the left lateral altar on 8 September 1664.

[1] In December 1684, a niche in stone was built by Jean Fauger (known as João Faugero), a native of Agen in France, who lived in a small space within the grounds, and who worked as a sculptor.

[1] In 1688, Captain Bartlomeu de Frias Coutinho, expressed his intention to enter the convent, ordering the construction of three rooms in the last dormitory of the western wing, for his spaces.

On 23 February, a new image of the Virgin Mary was installed in the front niche, executed by Fauger again, and in white marble which was specially ordered by his son, Father João da Madre de Deus, who ministered in the Recolhimento (religious shelter).

The master sculptor also built various columns, pedestals, angels, cherubs and images (including Nossa Senhora da Piedade and São José).

[1] Upon his death in 1696, Bartolomeu's testament left all his worldly possessions to the shelter, including his books and monies, to be used to create a silver censer and chains (with leftover funds).

[1] In 1704, Fathers Ministro and João de Passos solicited from the Bishop authority for students to live in the shelter, in order for them to continue their studies and practice Latin.

On 11 July Father José Bento Rodovalho, Minister of Shelters, order the immediate inventory of the Church's possessions, decorations and tools; these possessions included silverware, ampoule, two chalices; a pair of cruets with dishes; three panels; ten images of various invocations and heights with silver-leaf; four silver crowns or various sizes; an image of Christ; two cabinets; and a small bell from the belfry.

Then on 11 February 1846, the Parish Junta deliberated the transfer of the decorations and possessions of the hermitage into the care of José Maria da Silveira, a resident of Lagoa.

[1] The local Junta also continued to deliberate on other artifacts in the intervening years: on 21 October 1849, the board discussed the transfer of two artifacts and the image of Saint Benedict to the parish president; on 30 March 1851, the Junta requested that the Civil Governor impede the transfer of an image of the Lord of Patience (from the hermitage) since it was needed in the cemetery; on 9 March 1853, they requested the Governor Civil allow them to reuse the slabs around the building for the cemetery.

[1][3] Ultimately, on 6 June 1854, the hermitage, shelter and surrounding property were sold to António Manuel de Medeiros da Costa Canto e Albuquerque, 2nd Baron and 1st Viscount of Laranjeiras.

[1] On 10 June 2008, the Regional Government of the Azores classified the Convent of Caloura as a Property of Public Interest, due to its importance in being the original focus of the celebrations associated with Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres.

The chapel's rectangular courtyard lies below the level of the roadway and walkway and is accessed by a short staircase flanked by plants, bordered by low walls capped by stonework.

[1] This two-storey high facade and azulejo wall are broken by a frieze and cornices over finial cut-breaks, forming lateral volutes, which are topped by a vegetal-shaped frontispiece crowned by a rectangular Latin cross.

On either side of the lateral walls are two built-in confessionals, with doors painted in red and decorative elements in gold, as well as faux marble interiors, framed in shells.

Over the cornice is the roof-line of the nave supported by rounded wooden beams, painted with phytomorphic friezes and cartouches, the centre large and cut, with marine symbols and inscriptions.

In the archive room, to the left, is a wardrobe (interiorly divided in two) with painted motifs, while between pillars is a rectangular lavabo with an arch of ashlar and double frieze below.

Due to instability during that era, it was difficult to organize the procession, and it was moved to the 15 August, in honour of Our Lady of Angels (Portuguese: Nossa Senhora dos Anjos).