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Braga, Portugal: Shrine of Our Lady of Sameiro & Bom Jesus

 

About Braga:

The city of Braga is one of the oldest Christian cities in Europe. It is here in the Cathedral that Portugal’s first king, Afonso, is buried. There is an old image of the Blessed Virgin Mary hanging in the Chapel of the Madonna.

 

About Our Lady of Sameiro:

This the second-most visited shrine in Portugal after Fatima and is located about 5 miles from the city of Braga. Located in the center of town, the Cathedral is architecturally stunning. Four statues of saints greet you as you enter: St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Anthony of Lisbon, and Saint Alphonsus Liguori. All four had a great dedication to Our Lady, and a statue of her is on the main altar.

Millions visit the shrine each year and it was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1982.

 

About Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of the Mountain)

Near the shrine of Our Lady of Sameiro, at the top of a hill, is the chapel of Bom Jesus do Monte (shown here). Some pilgrims did–and still do–climb up the stairways one their knees, meditating on the Passion of the Christ at various stations along the way.

You can walk it in about 25 minutes or take an escalator up to the top.

 

Getting there:

Braga is a little over 200 miles north of Lisbon.  There is train service from Lisbon (oriente station) to Braga, taking about five hours.  Get train & bus schedules, see fares & buy tickets here

If you are driving from Lisbon, take the E1 highway toward Porto and then continue on to Braga. Along the way you are close to both Fatima and Santarem.

You can also drive down from Santiago de Compostela (pilgrim route of Saint James) in Northwestern Spain.  There bus service for Santiago de Compostela as well.

Address: Avenida Nossa Senhora do Sameiro 44, 4715-616 Espinho – Braga, Portugal

GPS coordinates: 41° 32′ 30.5052” N, 8° 22′ 11.0532” W

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