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The Church of Misericórdia is located right in the place where a temple devoted
to the Holy Ghost was built by the beginning of the settlement. The first
Hospital of Angra, which forms part of the building nowadays, was only a few
meters from the Port. It served to shelter the sailors coming back from the
Route to the Indias.
The worship of the Holy Ghost, widely spread in 16th century Europe, was based
on the concepts of social charity which contributed to the proliferation of the
Misericórdias throughout the nation. In the 18th century, the Church of
Misericórdia is built on the site of the old temple, in whose façade the
colourful coat of arms stands out. Inside it, there are carvings and tiles, as
well as a painted cloth representing the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the
Virgin and the Apostles, which make it worth to pay a visit.
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