Braga and Guimaraes
Braga is a city in northern Portugal located about an hour's drive north of Porto. Under the Roman Empire, then known as Bracara Augusta, the settlement was the capital of the province of Gallaecia. Nowadays, Braga is a major hub for inland Northern Portugal.
Braga is known as the Portuguese Rome or the City of Archbishops because of the faith of its people and the number of churches and shrines throughout the city and the surrounding territory. The Cathedral of Braga is considered one of the most important buildings in the country. It has been a national monument since 1910.
We signed up for a walking tour of Braga that promised to highlight the history of Braga and it did not disappoint.
We started our tour at the semi-historic Arch of the New Gate (Portuguese: Arco da Porta Nova). It is a Baroque and Neoclassical arch, designed by André Soares in the late 18th century and incorporates the original triumphal arch which decorates the western entrance to the medieval wall of the city, which was opened in 1512 and is traditionally used to present the city's keys to dignitaries and celebrities.
A small city museum in the walls of the town and accessible behind the arch showcased a map of the City from the 16th century. We could still see the town walls and the huge cathedral in the city center.
As we walked through the city, we noticed many people dressed up in period costumes. Apparently, there is a society in Braga that dresses up and parades through town to keep history alive. It was certainly a spectacular sight and was easy to imagine that one was back in the mid-17th century Portugal.
Saint Peter of Rates or of Braga, is traditionally considered to be the first bishop of Braga between the years 45 and 60 AD. Tradition says he was a jew that had recently died when Saint James the Great was in the area. The Apostle knowing him to be a man of intelligence and good will had him resurrected from the grave and ordained him to preach the glory of Christ. The same tradition holds that Peter of Rates was martyred while attempting to make converts to the Christian faith in northern Portugal.
The original cathedral was started in 1089 AD but was only completed in the mid-13th century. In later years the cathedral was greatly modified, so that today it is a mix of Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, manueline and baroque styles. For example, today the The entrance gallery (galilee) with three arches is gothic (end of 15th century), but the towers and upper stories are early baroque (17th century).
It also has a stunning cloisters that contains many beautiful remnants of the rebuilding of the church, including arches and statuary. Today, it is also home to a stunning public park and gardens that was busy even when we were there.
As we walked through town, we passed the beautiful Palace of Raio (Portuguese: Palácio do Raio). The palace was originally built in 1754 and completely restored in 1993, including the fantastic blue tile work.
Leaving Braga, we drove to see Bom Jesus do Monte which is a Portuguese sanctuary in Tenões, just outside the city of Braga. Its name means Good Jesus of the Mount.
The Sanctuary is a notable example of pilgrimage site with a monumental, Baroque stairway that climbs 116 meters (381 feet). It is an important tourist attraction of Braga.
The first chapel on the hill dates back from 1373. This chapel - dedicated to the Holy Cross - was rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1629 a pilgrimage church was built dedicated to the Bom Jesus (Good Jesus), with six chapels dedicated to the Passion of Christ.
The present Sanctuary started being built in 1722, under the patronage of the Archbishop of Braga, Rodrigo de Moura Telles. His coat of arms is seen over the gateway, in the beginning of the stairway. Under his direction the first stairway row, with chapels dedicated to the Via Crucis, were completed. Each chapel is decorated with terra cotta sculptures depicting the Passion of Christ. He also sponsored the next segment of stairways, which has a zigzag shape and is dedicated to the Five Senses. Each sense (Sight, Smell, Hearing, Touch, Taste) is represented by a different fountain. At the end of this stairway, a Baroque church was built around 1725 by architect Manuel Pinto Vilalobos.
Today, the entire area is a public park. The first set of steps is a zigzagging series leading up the hill - each zag ending in a building housing a diorama of a station of the cross. The top set of steps highlight the five human senses and includes stunning statuary and fountains.
A few miles outside Braga is the historic city of Guimarães. Guimarães is often regarded as the birth place of Portugal as it was here that the first king of Portugal (Afonso Henriques) was born. This extensive history is reflected in the variety of national monuments and historic buildings found within the city.
We spent most of our time at the the Castle of Guimarães. It was built under the orders of Mumadona Dias in the 10th century to defend the monastery from attacks by Moors and Norsemen. The castle was remodeled several times over the year, finally getting close to its current form in the 13th and 14th centuries.
In 1653, the town council was petitioning the crown to help repair the castle and walls before they fall completely into ruin. In 1793, the walls were listed as in a state of ruin. By 1836, the councilmen of Guimarães were looking to demolish the castle, and reuse the stone to repave the roadways.
In 1910, the castle was declared a national monument. In 1937, the General Service for National Buildings and Monuments started its restorations. The structure was re-inaugurated on 4 June 1940, on the occasion of the centenary of the castle.
In front of the castle is the small church of Igreja de São Miguel do Castelo. Alfonso, the first king of Portugal, was baptised in this ancient church which was built in either the 9th or 10th century. The simple granite walls of the church are duplicated in the granite slabs that make up the floor. Many of the slabs are inscribed and decorated as funeral markers with the names of knights who fell in the line of duty.
Braga is known as the Portuguese Rome or the City of Archbishops because of the faith of its people and the number of churches and shrines throughout the city and the surrounding territory. The Cathedral of Braga is considered one of the most important buildings in the country. It has been a national monument since 1910.
We signed up for a walking tour of Braga that promised to highlight the history of Braga and it did not disappoint.
A small city museum in the walls of the town and accessible behind the arch showcased a map of the City from the 16th century. We could still see the town walls and the huge cathedral in the city center.
As we walked through the city, we noticed many people dressed up in period costumes. Apparently, there is a society in Braga that dresses up and parades through town to keep history alive. It was certainly a spectacular sight and was easy to imagine that one was back in the mid-17th century Portugal.
Saint Peter of Rates or of Braga, is traditionally considered to be the first bishop of Braga between the years 45 and 60 AD. Tradition says he was a jew that had recently died when Saint James the Great was in the area. The Apostle knowing him to be a man of intelligence and good will had him resurrected from the grave and ordained him to preach the glory of Christ. The same tradition holds that Peter of Rates was martyred while attempting to make converts to the Christian faith in northern Portugal.
It also has a stunning cloisters that contains many beautiful remnants of the rebuilding of the church, including arches and statuary. Today, it is also home to a stunning public park and gardens that was busy even when we were there.
As we walked through town, we passed the beautiful Palace of Raio (Portuguese: Palácio do Raio). The palace was originally built in 1754 and completely restored in 1993, including the fantastic blue tile work.Leaving Braga, we drove to see Bom Jesus do Monte which is a Portuguese sanctuary in Tenões, just outside the city of Braga. Its name means Good Jesus of the Mount.
The Sanctuary is a notable example of pilgrimage site with a monumental, Baroque stairway that climbs 116 meters (381 feet). It is an important tourist attraction of Braga.
The present Sanctuary started being built in 1722, under the patronage of the Archbishop of Braga, Rodrigo de Moura Telles. His coat of arms is seen over the gateway, in the beginning of the stairway. Under his direction the first stairway row, with chapels dedicated to the Via Crucis, were completed. Each chapel is decorated with terra cotta sculptures depicting the Passion of Christ. He also sponsored the next segment of stairways, which has a zigzag shape and is dedicated to the Five Senses. Each sense (Sight, Smell, Hearing, Touch, Taste) is represented by a different fountain. At the end of this stairway, a Baroque church was built around 1725 by architect Manuel Pinto Vilalobos.
Today, the entire area is a public park. The first set of steps is a zigzagging series leading up the hill - each zag ending in a building housing a diorama of a station of the cross. The top set of steps highlight the five human senses and includes stunning statuary and fountains.
A few miles outside Braga is the historic city of Guimarães. Guimarães is often regarded as the birth place of Portugal as it was here that the first king of Portugal (Afonso Henriques) was born. This extensive history is reflected in the variety of national monuments and historic buildings found within the city.
In 1653, the town council was petitioning the crown to help repair the castle and walls before they fall completely into ruin. In 1793, the walls were listed as in a state of ruin. By 1836, the councilmen of Guimarães were looking to demolish the castle, and reuse the stone to repave the roadways.
In 1910, the castle was declared a national monument. In 1937, the General Service for National Buildings and Monuments started its restorations. The structure was re-inaugurated on 4 June 1940, on the occasion of the centenary of the castle.
In front of the castle is the small church of Igreja de São Miguel do Castelo. Alfonso, the first king of Portugal, was baptised in this ancient church which was built in either the 9th or 10th century. The simple granite walls of the church are duplicated in the granite slabs that make up the floor. Many of the slabs are inscribed and decorated as funeral markers with the names of knights who fell in the line of duty.
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