21–29 April 2023

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Braga

    After four weeks abroad, I returned to Portugal in anticipation of my family’s arrival in Lisbon at the end of the month. I decided to stay somewhere smaller, however, looking for some peace and quiet between visits to the French and Portuguese capitals, and also thinking that the best place to reacquaint myself with Portugal would be the city regarded as its spiritual centre. 

    Founded in 20 BC, Braga is the oldest city in the country and one of the oldest Catholic dioceses in the world. The Rome of Portugal, as it is sometimes called, is a popular detour for pilgrims walking the Portuguese Caminho, who have no shortage of historic churches to visit. By far the most special of these religious sites is the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, a hilltop shrine accessible by a baroque stairway lined with chapels depicting the Stations of the Cross. The ascent is long but meditative, and the view from the summit is breathtaking. 

    Funnily enough, Braga is also one of the youngest cities in Europe thanks to its large university. Students, as well as tourists and locals of all ages, fill the shops, restaurants, and squares, but even at the busiest times the atmosphere remains leisurely. Alongside these modern amenities are many tributes to the city’s origins as a regional administrative centre of the Roman Empire. The residents take pride in this history, but that in no way makes them imperialists: I was lucky enough to be here on April 25 for the 49th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, the bloodless military coup which brought democracy to Portugal. The city was full of people singing, eating, and lounging in the sun: it was a joyful day that showed the best of the Portuguese. 

Braga

    Depois de quatro semanas no estrangeiro, regressei a Portugal na expectativa da chegada da minha família a Lisboa no final do mês. Decidi ficar num sítio mais pequeno, no entanto, procurando alguma paz e sossego entre as visitas às capitais francesa e portuguesa, e também pensando que o melhor local para me reencontrar com Portugal seria a cidade considerada o seu centro espiritual.

    Fundada em 20 aC, Braga é a cidade mais antiga do país e uma das dioceses católicas mais antigas do mundo. A Roma de Portugal, como às vezes é chamada, é um desvio popular para os peregrinos que percorrem o Caminho Português, que não faltam igrejas históricas para visitar. De longe, o mais especial de seus locais religiosos é o Bom Jesus do Monte, um santuário no topo de uma colina acessível por uma escadaria barroca ladeada por capelas representando as Estações da Cruz. A subida é longa mas meditativa, e a vista do cume é espetacular.

    Curiosamente, Braga é também uma das cidades mais jovens da Europa graças à sua grande universidade. Estudantes, turistas e residentes de todas as idades, lotam as lojas, restaurantes, e praças, mas mesmo nos horários de maior movimento o ambiente permanece descontraído. Juntamente com estas comodidades modernas, há muitos tributos às origens da cidade como centro administrativo regional do Império Romano. Os residentes orgulham-se desta história, mas isso não os torna imperialistas: tive a sorte de estar aqui no dia 25 de abril para o 49º aniversário da Revolução dos Cravos, o golpe militar incruento que trouxe a democracia a Portugal. A cidade encheu-se de gente a cantar, a comer, a espreguiçar-se ao sol: foi um dia alegre que mostrou o melhor dos portugueses. 

Pictures

A statue of August Caesar
Uma estátua do Augusto César

Roman ruins in a public library
Ruinas romanas numa biblioteca pública

A fountain in a square
Uma fonte numa praça

A street
Uma estrada

A street with Braga Cathedral in the background
Uma estrada com a Sé de Braga no fundo

A pedestrian strip
Uma estrada de pedestres

A fountain in the Square of the Republic
Uma fonte na Praça da Republica

The Square of the Republic on April 25
A praça da Republica em 25 de abril

A student band in the Square of the Republic
Um grupo dos músicos estudantis na Praça da Republica

The Arch of the New Gate
O Arco da Porta Nova

The ruins of a Roman aqueduct
As ruinas dum aqueduto romano

An intersection
Uma interseção

The hill with the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte
A colina com o Santuario do Bom Jesus do Monte

The entrance to the Sanctuary
A entrada do Santuario

One of the chapels along the stairway
Uma das capelas ao longo da escada

A Station of the Cross in a chapel
Uma Estação da Cruz numa capela

The baroque stairway
A escada barocca

A fountain on the stairway
Uma fonte na escada

The Sanctuary
O Santuario

A garden by beside the Sanctuary 
Um jardim ao lado do Santuário

A square atop the hill
Uma praça ao cima da colina

A view from the hill
Uma vista da colina

A Station of the Cross
Uma Estação da Cruz

An outlook near the Sanctuary
Uma perspetiva perto do Santuário

View of the city from the stairway
Vista da cidade da escada

A chapel in the city
Uma capela na cidade

A square
Uma praça

The Braga sign
O sinal de Braga

A street in the city centre
Uma estrada no centro da cidade

The interior of a church
O interior de uma igreja

The Garden of Santa Barbara
O Jardim da Santa Bárbara

A shrine in a park
Um santuário num parque

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