Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 39.60551235650498, -9.076572944989547

The Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré, also referred to as Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Nazaré, is located in Sítio da Nazaré, a neighborhood in the village of Nazaré, Portugal.

Inside, there is a sacred image of Our Lady of Nazaré, a Black Virgin, carved in wood, brought from Mérida to this site in the year 711. The story of this image is told in the Legend of Nazaré.

There are still three sanctuaries on the site where the image was venerated, and is venerated since, according to legend, it arrived there in 711, taken by Friar Romano, a monk from the monastery of Cauliana. The monk fled from the Muslim invaders after the defeat of the Christian army in the battle of Guadalete, in the company of D. Rodrigo, the last Visigoth king, who fled after the defeat of his army against the Muslim invaders. The choice of destination, on the Atlantic coast, perhaps comes from the existence in the vicinity of a Visigoth monastery, of which the church of São Gião, classified as a National Monument in 1986, still exists.

The first sanctuary on this Site is a small man-made cave, next to the cliff, one hundred and ten meters above the ocean beach. The image was placed there, by Friar Romano, on an altar. This sanctuary (probably built in prehistoric times) served as a hermitage where he lived until his death. As per his will, he was buried in the cave floor by King Rodrigo, who lived nearby, on Mount São Bartolomeu. After the monk's death, the former king left for the outskirts of Viseu where he ended his days as a hermit and where he would have been buried. The image of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré was preserved in this sanctuary from 711 to 1182.

The second sanctuary, the Capela da Memória, was built on the edge of the cliff, over the cave, on the initiative of D. Fuas Roupinho after the miracle that saved him, in 1182. It is a small building with a square plan, with a pyramidal vault. The image was venerated here from 1182 to 1377.

The third sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré, where the sacred image is currently venerated, was founded by King Fernando I, in 1377. from the 19th century, when it acquired its present form, where no element suggests its medieval origins. The reconstruction of the temple began with the work on the chancel, facing west, the corridors and the rooms that surround it, of which the sacristy stands out due to its dimensions and its location behind the chancel.

The Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré has been classified as a Public Interest Property since 1978.

Architectural description

The sanctuary rises at the end of a spacious courtyard, on a higher plane. Access to the interior is via a semicircular staircase, passing through the porches. On either side of the facade extends a body of two-storey buildings. Passing through the portico, one enters the church with a single nave, in the shape of a Latin cross, measuring 42 m long and 10 m wide.

In the body of the church, illuminated by eight windows, with a semi-cylindrical paneled wooden roof, there are four gilded altars, from 1756, and two pulpits from the same period. At the entrance, supported by fluted Doric columns, stands the high choir with an organ in the center. Access to the crossing, covered by a stone dome with a lantern, is accessed through a large arch topped by the royal coat of arms. In each arm of the transept, covered by a stone vault, there is an altar, the top walls being covered with Dutch tiles, which adorn the walls from top to bottom like tapestries. On the right arm panels depict scenes from David's life. On the left show episodes from the life of Joseph, son of Jacob. There are also two other panels, with scenes from the biblical episode of Jonah the prophet, with the whale, topped by angels, located over the doors that lead to the porches. In the south doorway there are two mutilated panels with inviting figures in the form of a Roman soldier. All these transept panels, a total of 6,568 tiles, were commissioned by the administration of the sanctuary, in 1708, from the company of Wilhelm van der Kloet (1666-1747), in Amsterdam, Holland.

The main chapel, covered by a round vault, in stone, is separated from the rest of the space by a balustrade in pau santo, with marble columns. Its floor is made of inlaid marble in various colors and is raised five steps. At the back, the Baroque altarpiece, with Solomonic columns in gilded and polychrome carving, contains the niche with glass pane where the sacred image is venerated behind and above the high altar.

Both the sacristy and the corridors and other rooms around the chancel are profusely decorated with Portuguese tiles from the early 1800s, from the Lisbon workshop of António de Oliveira Bernardes. Of note are the panels in the vault of the south aisle, with the assumption of the Virgin, and those on the walls of the sacristy, with prophets. This imposing room has a coffered ceiling with the royal coat of arms in the center, has chests topped with canvases whose theme is the legend of Nazaré, has walls covered in tiles, from the 17th century, and a floor made of hydraulic mosaic, from the 19th century. Among the chests is an altar with a calvary, in front of the door. Next to the ceiling are six large canvases depicting the Passion of Christ. It is from here that the iron staircase leads pilgrims to the sacred image of Our Lady of Nazaré, in the main chapel.

Full list of Geochaching below:

https://mirror.xyz/madeinpt.eth/I5tjF3sn6ugnUw3nBnKOpOUr2DEh_g6cTN-0hivKCgc

Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 39.60551235650498, -9.076572944989547

The Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré, also referred to as Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Nazaré, is located in Sítio da Nazaré, a neighborhood in the village of Nazaré, Portugal.

Inside, there is a sacred image of Our Lady of Nazaré, a Black Virgin, carved in wood, brought from Mérida to this site in the year 711. The story of this image is told in the Legend of Nazaré.

There are still three sanctuaries on the site where the image was venerated, and is venerated since, according to legend, it arrived there in 711, taken by Friar Romano, a monk from the monastery of Cauliana. The monk fled from the Muslim invaders after the defeat of the Christian army in the battle of Guadalete, in the company of D. Rodrigo, the last Visigoth king, who fled after the defeat of his army against the Muslim invaders. The choice of destination, on the Atlantic coast, perhaps comes from the existence in the vicinity of a Visigoth monastery, of which the church of São Gião, classified as a National Monument in 1986, still exists.

The first sanctuary on this Site is a small man-made cave, next to the cliff, one hundred and ten meters above the ocean beach. The image was placed there, by Friar Romano, on an altar. This sanctuary (probably built in prehistoric times) served as a hermitage where he lived until his death. As per his will, he was buried in the cave floor by King Rodrigo, who lived nearby, on Mount São Bartolomeu. After the monk's death, the former king left for the outskirts of Viseu where he ended his days as a hermit and where he would have been buried. The image of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré was preserved in this sanctuary from 711 to 1182.

The second sanctuary, the Capela da Memória, was built on the edge of the cliff, over the cave, on the initiative of D. Fuas Roupinho after the miracle that saved him, in 1182. It is a small building with a square plan, with a pyramidal vault. The image was venerated here from 1182 to 1377.

The third sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré, where the sacred image is currently venerated, was founded by King Fernando I, in 1377. from the 19th century, when it acquired its present form, where no element suggests its medieval origins. The reconstruction of the temple began with the work on the chancel, facing west, the corridors and the rooms that surround it, of which the sacristy stands out due to its dimensions and its location behind the chancel.

The Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré has been classified as a Public Interest Property since 1978.

Architectural description

The sanctuary rises at the end of a spacious courtyard, on a higher plane. Access to the interior is via a semicircular staircase, passing through the porches. On either side of the facade extends a body of two-storey buildings. Passing through the portico, one enters the church with a single nave, in the shape of a Latin cross, measuring 42 m long and 10 m wide.

In the body of the church, illuminated by eight windows, with a semi-cylindrical paneled wooden roof, there are four gilded altars, from 1756, and two pulpits from the same period. At the entrance, supported by fluted Doric columns, stands the high choir with an organ in the center. Access to the crossing, covered by a stone dome with a lantern, is accessed through a large arch topped by the royal coat of arms. In each arm of the transept, covered by a stone vault, there is an altar, the top walls being covered with Dutch tiles, which adorn the walls from top to bottom like tapestries. On the right arm panels depict scenes from David's life. On the left show episodes from the life of Joseph, son of Jacob. There are also two other panels, with scenes from the biblical episode of Jonah the prophet, with the whale, topped by angels, located over the doors that lead to the porches. In the south doorway there are two mutilated panels with inviting figures in the form of a Roman soldier. All these transept panels, a total of 6,568 tiles, were commissioned by the administration of the sanctuary, in 1708, from the company of Wilhelm van der Kloet (1666-1747), in Amsterdam, Holland.

The main chapel, covered by a round vault, in stone, is separated from the rest of the space by a balustrade in pau santo, with marble columns. Its floor is made of inlaid marble in various colors and is raised five steps. At the back, the Baroque altarpiece, with Solomonic columns in gilded and polychrome carving, contains the niche with glass pane where the sacred image is venerated behind and above the high altar.

Both the sacristy and the corridors and other rooms around the chancel are profusely decorated with Portuguese tiles from the early 1800s, from the Lisbon workshop of António de Oliveira Bernardes. Of note are the panels in the vault of the south aisle, with the assumption of the Virgin, and those on the walls of the sacristy, with prophets. This imposing room has a coffered ceiling with the royal coat of arms in the center, has chests topped with canvases whose theme is the legend of Nazaré, has walls covered in tiles, from the 17th century, and a floor made of hydraulic mosaic, from the 19th century. Among the chests is an altar with a calvary, in front of the door. Next to the ceiling are six large canvases depicting the Passion of Christ. It is from here that the iron staircase leads pilgrims to the sacred image of Our Lady of Nazaré, in the main chapel.

Full list of Geochaching below:

https://mirror.xyz/madeinpt.eth/I5tjF3sn6ugnUw3nBnKOpOUr2DEh_g6cTN-0hivKCgc