Megalithic Stones At Church of Santa Maria Madalena in Alcobertas Portugal

Back View of the Church Dolmen

Photo by Américo Cardoso (2010)

Timeline

Sometime after 1147 with the conquest of this formally Moslem land by a Christian kingdom, the hermitage of Santa Maria Magdalena was established.
On July 4, 1536, the Cardinal of São Brás, Archbishop of Lisbon, elevated this hermitage to a church with parish jurisdiction.
In the 1600's the church was expanded and rotated 90 degrees. The dolmen stones were incorporated as a side chapel at this time.
Sometime before 1800 the main dolman roof stone breaks and falls. It was replaced by the existing roof.

Dolmen Slabs Incorporated Into a Church

This is also called the Alcobertas Dolmen. This is not an in-place dolmen as a quick visual inspection shows because it is circular instead of rectangular, and the stones are leaning inwards instead of being free standing with deep roots. The stones have been moved here from elsewhere.

The legends surrounding these stones tell of a similar tale of movement.

Faithful Christians dismantled the dolmen because it was a pagan symbol, but by divine powers it was rebuilt by Mary Magdalene. Every time the people destroyed the dolmen the saint rebuilt it. Consequently, the people decided to place its stones next to their chapel they wanted to build.
It was Santa Maria Madalena who transported the stones from Serra da Lua (neighboring mountain) and placed them in this place to form a place of prayer for the people.
The Saint gave birth to the stones in this place so that believers could atone for their sins.

Reference

Blog by Américo Cardoso

https://rio-maior-cidadania.blogspot.com/2010/02/dolmen-igreja-de-santa-maria-madalena.html

View Inside Dolmen

This is the entrance to the dolmen from the church sanctuary. Notice the entrance still has 1 roof stone.
Photo by João Carvalho via Wikimedia Commons.
Online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Igreja_de_Santa_Maria_Madalena_(Alcobertas)#/media/File:Igreja_Santa_Maria_da_Madalena_em_Alcobertas_7469.jpg

Inside View of Stones

Notice how much they lean and how they need brickwork to support them.
This is the entrance to the dolmen from the church sanctuary. Notice the entrance still has 1 roof stone.
Photo by João Carvalho via Wikimedia Commons.
Online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Igreja_de_Santa_Maria_Madalena_(Alcobertas)#/media/File:Igreja_Santa_Maria_da_Madalena_em_Alcobertas_7473.jpg

Front View of the Church Dolmen

Photo by Threeohsix via Wikimedia Commons. Online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Igreja_de_Santa_Maria_Madalena_(Alcobertas)#/media/File:Meg%C3%A1lito-capela_adjacente_%C3%A0_igreja_paroquial_de_Alcobertas_-_Vista_para_nordeste_3.jpg