Braga
The Early Religious Capital of Portugal
Braga - José Manuel
For over a thousand years Braga was the religious capital of Portugal. Its Cathedral is the oldest in Portugal, consecrated in 1089. Count Henry of Burgundy and his wife Teresa (the parents of Portugal´s first king, Afonso Henriques), comissioned the building of the cathedral and are buried here. Braga is one of the few dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church to have its own liturgy.
Places of worship for older religions have also been found here, such as the remains of the Roman temple of Diana and a prehistoric fonte de idolo (fountain of the idol) which continues to mystify archeologists.
Braga´s dominance began to slip when Rome granted Lisbon its own patriarch in 1716, however, the town retains some of the greatest ecclesiastical architecture in Portugal. During Holy Week huge religious processions are led through the streets, and on August 6th, the feast of the Transfiguration, a ceremony takes place in the Cathedral to bless the wine grapes of the harvest.
Although the Cathedral is the grandest of the places of worship, there exist an incredible number of churches in Braga known for their architectural beauty.
Hotels in Braga
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