In the main chapel, there is a vault supported by eight columns with capitals adorned with branches, shells, human heads and foliage, which are among the most realistic works of this type in Portugal.

The chapel is one of the rare extant examples of medieval architecture in the Algarve, due to the fact that it survived the 1755 earthquake, and it is the oldest religious building in the region.

[1][2][3][4] Based on an architectural style that employs buttresses and presents an austere appearance, the chapel is considered by some likely to have been built by the Knights Templar during the time of King Denis in the second half of the 13th century and only dedicated later to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

However, an alternative view is that it was built after the so-called miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which occurred early in the 14th century in Spain.

Henry was instrumental in sending out the first Portuguese navigators to explore the west coast of Africa and look for a direct sea route to India and the Far East.