Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 41.554763404914326, -8.377054303248935

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, also referred to as the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Braga, is located in the parish of Tenões, in the city, municipality and district of Braga, in Portugal. It is located near the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Sameiro.

This Catholic sanctuary dedicated to Senhor Bom Jesus is an architectural-landscape complex made up of a church, a stairway where the Via Sacra do Bom Jesus develops, an area of ​​woods (Parque do Bom Jesus), some hotels and a funicular ( Bom Jesus Elevator).

It was elevated to a minor basilica on July 5, 2015.

Its peculiar layout inspired other constructions, such as the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in Lamego, and the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in the city of Congonhas, in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

It is classified as a National Monument and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

History

It is believed that the original occupation of this site dates back to the beginning of the 14th century, when someone erected a cross on top of Mount Espinho. In the year 1373 a hermitage is already mentioned in the place, under the invocation of the Holy Cross. This hermitage would have been attached to the parish of Tenões.

A place of devotion and pilgrimage for the people of the region of Braga, a second chapel was built in 1494, on the initiative of the then Archbishop of Braga, D. Jorge da Costa, as attested by the coat of arms of this prelate, found during the works undertaken in 1839.

A third chapel was erected in 1522 on the initiative of the dean of the Cathedral of Braga, D. João da Guarda, a period in which there was an increase in devotion to the site.

In 1629 a group of devotees formed the Brotherhood of Bom Jesus do Monte, building a chapel where an image of Christ Crucified was placed, in addition to houses for shelter for pilgrims, and the first chapels of Passos da Paixão, in the form of small niches, dedicated to episodes of the Deposition from the Cross, the deposition in the tomb, the Resurrection and the Ascension. The first hermit, Pedro do Rosário, was named.

From 1722, the then Archbishop of Braga, D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles, conceived and started a great project that would lead to the current Sanctuary.

Classification

On July 20, 2015, the candidacy of Bom Jesus for World Heritage of Humanity was submitted to the National Commission of Unesco.

On June 1, 2016, it was announced that the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus is part of Portugal's indicative list of World Heritage approved by the National Commission of UNESCO. The tentative list is an indispensable prerequisite for the candidacy of properties to World Heritage.

Classified since 1970 as a Property of Public Interest, the Regional Directorate of Culture of the North presented on November 24, 2016 a proposal for the expansion of the classification and eventual reclassification to National Monument. The Draft Decision by the DGPC was signed on May 28, 2019.

On January 30, 2018, the candidacy of the “Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga” to the World Heritage List was delivered to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

The delivery took place after validation by the Interministerial Working Group, for the Monitoring of Candidatures for World Heritage and subsequent approval by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Culture and Environment.

It was classified as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2019 during the 43rd session in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus

This basilica was designed by the architect Carlos Amarante, commissioned by the then Archbishop of Braga, D. Gaspar de Bragança, to replace the previous church, built by D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles. Its works began on June 1, 1784, and were completed in 1811.

The churchyard, also designed by Amarante, features eight statues representing characters who intervened in the condemnation, passion and death of Christ.

The basilica has a plan in the shape of a Latin cross, constituting one of the first buildings in the neoclassical style in the country. Its façade is flanked by two towers, surmounted by a triangular pediment.

Stairways

The stairs overcome a difference in level of 116 meters and are divided into three sections:

Pórtico Staircase It is accessed through the Portico do Bom Jesus, an arch at the beginning of the staircase, where you can find the coat of arms of the person responsible for its construction in 1723, the then Archbishop of Braga, D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles. In this initial section are the first chapels of Via Sacra do Bom Jesus, built in the same period.

Staircase of the Five Senses

In this section of the staircase there are five flights of stairs, interspersed with levels with allegorical fountains to the five senses, in the following order: "Vision", "Hearing", "Smell", "Taste" and "Touch".

These fountains are preceded by another, the "Source of the Five Wounds", which reads the following inscription: "Sources of purple then opened bitter hatred; now love transforms them here into crystals for you."

Vision Fountain

It is characterized by a figure that throws water through the eyes, and bears the inscription: "Prudent man, take them for a dream and thus you will watch." On the right side, a statue of Moses bears the inscription "Those who were wounded looked healed", and another of Jeremiah, with the inscription "I see a watchful face".

Audition Fountain

It is characterized by a figure who throws water through his ears, with a statue of Judith playing the harp and the inscription "Who sang to the harp, presiding over those who sang and praised the Lord". On the left side is David, with the inscription "In my ear you will give joy and joy", in front of a woman with the inscription "Your voice sound in my ears".

Fountain of smell

It is characterized by a figure that sprays water through the nose, with a statue of a man headed by the inscription "Give flowers like the lily and smell sweet". On the left side is the figure of Noah, and on the right is a Sulamite with the inscription: "Your stature is like a palm tree... and the smell of your mouth is like that of apples".

Palate Fountain

It is characterized by a figure that sprays water from the mouth, with a statue of Joseph of Egypt with a chalice and a plate in his hands, and the inscription "May your land be filled with the blessings of the Lord, with the fruits of heaven and with the dew" . On the left side, the figure of Jonathan with the inscription "I tasted a little honey on the tip of a stick and this is why I die" and, on the right, Ezra with the inscription "Taste the bread, and do not abandon us, like the shepherd in the middle of the wolves".

Fountain of Touch

It is characterized by a figure who holds a jug with both hands, from which he pours water, with the statue of Solomon and the inscription "My insides trembled at his touch". This statue is flanked by Isaiah, with the inscription "You touched my mouth", and that of Isaac, blind, with his hands outstretched looking for his son and the inscription "Come close to me, my son, so that I may touch you". .

Staircase of the Three Virtues

In the same way as the Staircase of the Five Senses, this section dates from 1837. It has three fountains dedicated to the theological Virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.

Source of Faith

It features the inscription "Run from him living waters", and its allegories refer to Docility and Confession.

Fountain of Hope

It is characterized by a figure of Noah's ark under which water falls. It features the inscription "Ark in which... souls were saved", and the allegories refer to Trust and Glory.

Fountain of Charity

It is characterized by a statue of a woman with two children in her arms, with the inscription "There are three virtues... the greatest of them, however, is charity". Water gushes from the heart of one of the children, and the allegories refer to Kindness and Peace.

The staircase, with a total of 581 steps, culminates in the Terreiro de Moisés, where the Pelican Fountain and the Statue of São Longuinho are located, followed by the churchyard and the Church of Bom Jesus.

Bom Jesus Elevator

It is a funicular that connects the upper part of the city of Braga to the Sanctuary. It is managed by the Brotherhood of Bom Jesus do Monte.

It was built on the initiative of businessman Manuel Joaquim Gomes from Braga, with a project by Swiss engineer Niklaus Riggenbach. Specifications were received by mail and the installation of the equipment was carried out under the guidance of engineer Raul Mesnier. The funicular was inaugurated on March 25, 1882, being the first to be installed in the Iberian Peninsula, one of seven of its kind in the world, and with no record of any accident. It is currently the oldest in the world to use the water balance system.

Its cars go up and down every half hour and take between 2.5 and four minutes to make the entire journey, depending on the number of passengers on board.

Park

The park consists of a wooded area, with several gardens and artificial lakes (the largest of which has boats for rent), catering establishments, squares such as Terreiro dos Evangelistas and other infrastructure.

Designed by André Soares is a Casa de Fresco, a work from around 1751 and which was initially implanted in the gardens of the Archbishop of Braga, which was dismantled in 1919, having been acquired by the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, which brought it to its forest. , and that Reynaldo dos Santos considered it, "after the Manueline Window of the Convent of Christ, the most fantastic piece of Portuguese architecture".

Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 41.554763404914326, -8.377054303248935

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, also referred to as the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Braga, is located in the parish of Tenões, in the city, municipality and district of Braga, in Portugal. It is located near the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Sameiro.

This Catholic sanctuary dedicated to Senhor Bom Jesus is an architectural-landscape complex made up of a church, a stairway where the Via Sacra do Bom Jesus develops, an area of ​​woods (Parque do Bom Jesus), some hotels and a funicular ( Bom Jesus Elevator).

It was elevated to a minor basilica on July 5, 2015.

Its peculiar layout inspired other constructions, such as the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in Lamego, and the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in the city of Congonhas, in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

It is classified as a National Monument and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

History

It is believed that the original occupation of this site dates back to the beginning of the 14th century, when someone erected a cross on top of Mount Espinho. In the year 1373 a hermitage is already mentioned in the place, under the invocation of the Holy Cross. This hermitage would have been attached to the parish of Tenões.

A place of devotion and pilgrimage for the people of the region of Braga, a second chapel was built in 1494, on the initiative of the then Archbishop of Braga, D. Jorge da Costa, as attested by the coat of arms of this prelate, found during the works undertaken in 1839.

A third chapel was erected in 1522 on the initiative of the dean of the Cathedral of Braga, D. João da Guarda, a period in which there was an increase in devotion to the site.

In 1629 a group of devotees formed the Brotherhood of Bom Jesus do Monte, building a chapel where an image of Christ Crucified was placed, in addition to houses for shelter for pilgrims, and the first chapels of Passos da Paixão, in the form of small niches, dedicated to episodes of the Deposition from the Cross, the deposition in the tomb, the Resurrection and the Ascension. The first hermit, Pedro do Rosário, was named.

From 1722, the then Archbishop of Braga, D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles, conceived and started a great project that would lead to the current Sanctuary.

Classification

On July 20, 2015, the candidacy of Bom Jesus for World Heritage of Humanity was submitted to the National Commission of Unesco.

On June 1, 2016, it was announced that the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus is part of Portugal's indicative list of World Heritage approved by the National Commission of UNESCO. The tentative list is an indispensable prerequisite for the candidacy of properties to World Heritage.

Classified since 1970 as a Property of Public Interest, the Regional Directorate of Culture of the North presented on November 24, 2016 a proposal for the expansion of the classification and eventual reclassification to National Monument. The Draft Decision by the DGPC was signed on May 28, 2019.

On January 30, 2018, the candidacy of the “Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga” to the World Heritage List was delivered to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

The delivery took place after validation by the Interministerial Working Group, for the Monitoring of Candidatures for World Heritage and subsequent approval by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Culture and Environment.

It was classified as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2019 during the 43rd session in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus

This basilica was designed by the architect Carlos Amarante, commissioned by the then Archbishop of Braga, D. Gaspar de Bragança, to replace the previous church, built by D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles. Its works began on June 1, 1784, and were completed in 1811.

The churchyard, also designed by Amarante, features eight statues representing characters who intervened in the condemnation, passion and death of Christ.

The basilica has a plan in the shape of a Latin cross, constituting one of the first buildings in the neoclassical style in the country. Its façade is flanked by two towers, surmounted by a triangular pediment.

Stairways

The stairs overcome a difference in level of 116 meters and are divided into three sections:

Pórtico Staircase It is accessed through the Portico do Bom Jesus, an arch at the beginning of the staircase, where you can find the coat of arms of the person responsible for its construction in 1723, the then Archbishop of Braga, D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles. In this initial section are the first chapels of Via Sacra do Bom Jesus, built in the same period.

Staircase of the Five Senses

In this section of the staircase there are five flights of stairs, interspersed with levels with allegorical fountains to the five senses, in the following order: "Vision", "Hearing", "Smell", "Taste" and "Touch".

These fountains are preceded by another, the "Source of the Five Wounds", which reads the following inscription: "Sources of purple then opened bitter hatred; now love transforms them here into crystals for you."

Vision Fountain

It is characterized by a figure that throws water through the eyes, and bears the inscription: "Prudent man, take them for a dream and thus you will watch." On the right side, a statue of Moses bears the inscription "Those who were wounded looked healed", and another of Jeremiah, with the inscription "I see a watchful face".

Audition Fountain

It is characterized by a figure who throws water through his ears, with a statue of Judith playing the harp and the inscription "Who sang to the harp, presiding over those who sang and praised the Lord". On the left side is David, with the inscription "In my ear you will give joy and joy", in front of a woman with the inscription "Your voice sound in my ears".

Fountain of smell

It is characterized by a figure that sprays water through the nose, with a statue of a man headed by the inscription "Give flowers like the lily and smell sweet". On the left side is the figure of Noah, and on the right is a Sulamite with the inscription: "Your stature is like a palm tree... and the smell of your mouth is like that of apples".

Palate Fountain

It is characterized by a figure that sprays water from the mouth, with a statue of Joseph of Egypt with a chalice and a plate in his hands, and the inscription "May your land be filled with the blessings of the Lord, with the fruits of heaven and with the dew" . On the left side, the figure of Jonathan with the inscription "I tasted a little honey on the tip of a stick and this is why I die" and, on the right, Ezra with the inscription "Taste the bread, and do not abandon us, like the shepherd in the middle of the wolves".

Fountain of Touch

It is characterized by a figure who holds a jug with both hands, from which he pours water, with the statue of Solomon and the inscription "My insides trembled at his touch". This statue is flanked by Isaiah, with the inscription "You touched my mouth", and that of Isaac, blind, with his hands outstretched looking for his son and the inscription "Come close to me, my son, so that I may touch you". .

Staircase of the Three Virtues

In the same way as the Staircase of the Five Senses, this section dates from 1837. It has three fountains dedicated to the theological Virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.

Source of Faith

It features the inscription "Run from him living waters", and its allegories refer to Docility and Confession.

Fountain of Hope

It is characterized by a figure of Noah's ark under which water falls. It features the inscription "Ark in which... souls were saved", and the allegories refer to Trust and Glory.

Fountain of Charity

It is characterized by a statue of a woman with two children in her arms, with the inscription "There are three virtues... the greatest of them, however, is charity". Water gushes from the heart of one of the children, and the allegories refer to Kindness and Peace.

The staircase, with a total of 581 steps, culminates in the Terreiro de Moisés, where the Pelican Fountain and the Statue of São Longuinho are located, followed by the churchyard and the Church of Bom Jesus.

Bom Jesus Elevator

It is a funicular that connects the upper part of the city of Braga to the Sanctuary. It is managed by the Brotherhood of Bom Jesus do Monte.

It was built on the initiative of businessman Manuel Joaquim Gomes from Braga, with a project by Swiss engineer Niklaus Riggenbach. Specifications were received by mail and the installation of the equipment was carried out under the guidance of engineer Raul Mesnier. The funicular was inaugurated on March 25, 1882, being the first to be installed in the Iberian Peninsula, one of seven of its kind in the world, and with no record of any accident. It is currently the oldest in the world to use the water balance system.

Its cars go up and down every half hour and take between 2.5 and four minutes to make the entire journey, depending on the number of passengers on board.

Park

The park consists of a wooded area, with several gardens and artificial lakes (the largest of which has boats for rent), catering establishments, squares such as Terreiro dos Evangelistas and other infrastructure.

Designed by André Soares is a Casa de Fresco, a work from around 1751 and which was initially implanted in the gardens of the Archbishop of Braga, which was dismantled in 1919, having been acquired by the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, which brought it to its forest. , and that Reynaldo dos Santos considered it, "after the Manueline Window of the Convent of Christ, the most fantastic piece of Portuguese architecture".