Pilgrimage Destinations
Bom Jesus - Braga, Portugal
The Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary is hilltop site of pilgrimage located on a hilltop near the town of Braga in northern Portugal.
The Sacred Way staircase with Stations of the Cross
The Basilica of Bom Jesus with its baroque granite double staircase and twin spires is the most photographed church in Portugal. The Sacred Way staircase, represents Stations of the Cross, and was begun in year 1722 the Archbishop of Braga, Rodrigo de Moura Telles, and finally completed in 1811. On the staircase are numerous mediation stops, small landings with gardens, fountains, grottoes, small chapels, sculptures. These are devoted to the three the three virtues of Faith, Hope and Chastity.
The main festival takes place just before Easter each year, and culminates with the penitents climbing the staircase on hands and knees.
For those not able to use the staircase there is a water-counterbalanced funicular, a railway using cogs and teeth to climb slopes.
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