About Portugal:

Portugal is one of the most un-spoiled and picturesque countries in Europe, and has a rich Catholic history. Christianity was introduced to Portugal sometime in the third century, when the country was part of the Roman Empire. Tradition tells us of Verissimus, Maxima and Julia, known as the three martyrs of Lisbon, who were tortured and executed under the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian around 303 AD.

Portugal played a pivotal role in the Age of Exploration, a period from roughly 1450 to 1750, marked by European voyages of discovery, exploration, and colonization. Portugal’s leaders, notably Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) sponsored voyages of discovery along the west coast of Africa. He also established a school of navigation at Sagres, Portugal, which was dedicated to training sailors and mapmakers.  This spearheaded the systematic exploration of the Atlantic coast of Africa and beyond, leading to discoveries like the Cape of Good Hope and the establishment of a sea route to India. This ultimately resulted in the creation of a powerful Portuguese colonial empire, and with it, the spread of Christianity.

Notably, Christopher Columbus was unable to get the rulers of Portugal to support his expedition (the purpose of which was to find a shorter route to China) and he turned, instead, to Spain.

Catholic Shrines & Places of Interest in Portugal:

Some of the many sites of interest to Catholics are shown below. Certainly Fatima is probably the most well known, but there are many others that are worth a visit as well.

Mainland Portugal:

Braga: Our Lady of Sameiro & Bom Jesus do Monte

Coimbra:  Convent of St. Teresa (where Sister Lucia lived) & tomb of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal in Monastery of Santa Clara

Fatima: Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima

Lisbon:   Birthplace of Saint Anthony of Padua;  Royal Basilica and Convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Porto:  Sanctuary of Alexandrina de Balasar, Beautiful churches and port wine!

Santarem: Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem

Tomar: Convent of Christ (built by the Knights Templar)

Autonomous Regions of Portugal:

Both of these archipelagos, located in the Atlantic Ocean, were granted special status as autonomous regions in 1976. They have their own elected governments and legislative assemblies, with the power to legislate on matters within their respective territories.

The Azores: Several Catholic places of interest in this archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean

Funchal:   (Madeira)  Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption; the Jesuit Church of St John the Evangelist; Capela de Penha da França Church

Traveling independently? We recommend that you try staying in a Pousada.

And recently, at least one cruise line has begun to offer river cruises in Portugal.

Traveling to Portugal:

Most people travel to Portugal by plane, with the main international airports being Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO), and Faro (FAO). Direct flights are available from many US cities to Lisbon and Porto, and soon to Faro. There is also train service from several European cities. Ocean cruises that include Portugal normally dock in Lisbon.

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