Visit to Braga Cathedral, Oldest Cathedral of Portugal

Braga is 55km north of Porto. From Porto, the plan was to drive to Guimaraes, a UNESCO World Heritage site. But Bom Jesus do Monte a pilgrimage site near Braga seemed so alluring that we planned a night halt at Braga. By the time we reached our hotel it was almost eight in the evening. That part of the town looked calm and there were hardly any people in the streets. Luckily we got a good restaurant and had local food there.

We gave up plans of discovering the city that night. It had already been a long day in Tomar with Monastery of Tomar in the morning, touring Coimbra at noon and evening at Porto. Both body and mind demanded a pause.

Braga Cathedral

This cathedral is a must visit not only for the spiritually minded travelers but also for architecture lovers and history buffs.

Facade of Braga Cathedral

The next day we explored the town for a while, again not much crowd. We were early I think. It is a short walk from the main plaza in the center of the city and there are other interesting buildings and shops all around. The cathedral hadn’t opened for the day yet, luckily some souvenir shops were open. The main site we spent time was at Braga’s Cathedral and the souvenirs shops around it. I found the souvenirs here cost the least compared to the other cities of Portugal.

Braga Cathedral 3

History of Braga Cathedral

Braga was the capital Suebi Kingdom during 3rd century. It was a catholic kingdom till Moors conquered it 8th century. The city was back to Christian hands during 11th century. Braga cathedral is older than the nation itself. Bishop Pedro started to build a cathedral, consecrated it in 1089. The construction of Braga Cathedral spanned 2 centuries and was completed in middle of 13th century. So it has a touch of different architectural styles.

This is one of the most important and oldest buildings in Portugal. There is a popular saying : “As old as Braga Cathedral (Sé de Braga)”.

Architecture and Interior of Cathedral

The interior is such a mix of styles. It is very much evident that the continuity in styles is missing. The original Romanesque style of architecture is almost gone except at nave. Of the 5 chapels only the main chapel is in Manueline style rest are in baroque.

Most interesting parts of Braga Cathedral are choir-stalls and organs in the elevated choir above the west entrance of the cathedral. The organ has intricate and has enormous amount of gilded work on it. You can see in picture below. It belongs to the baroque period. This is the first sight that caught my attention and I was completely mesmerized and kept gazing at it till my neck ached. Do pay close attention to the detail of the architecture here.

The painted ceiling and sculptured gilt wood work is one of its kinds in whole of Portugal I read later. It is placed in a symmetric manner on both sides of transept.

Braga Cathedral 5

Museum inside Cathedral

The museum here has precious collection of jewels. For a small fee you can tour this treasury.

  • Sculpture of Nossa Senhora do Leite (the Virgin breastfeeding the child) made by Nicolas Chanterene in the 16th century;
  • Cross used in the first mass in Brazil in 1500
  • Tombs of Henri of Burgundy and Dona Theresa who were parents of the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques.
  • some of the best pieces of Ivory in the country

Tour of Cathedral Interior

After touring the treasury walk through the courtyard where excavations of roman and medieval artefacts have been found.

Move on to the chapels next where important people of Portugal rest in peace. There are three chapels. The first chapel has the remains of the mother and father of the first king of Portugal. It also has the mummified ArchBishop of Braga from the 16th century.

The 2nd chapel is an ornate baroque masterpiece. Incredibly beautiful, demands both time and attention! The 3rd chapel was under repair but notice the walls. They have cracks in them from the tremors that devastated Lisbon during earthquake of 1755. Imagine that the impact of the earthquake was felt so up north!

Tickets and Open Timings of Braga Cathedral

Open every day of the week from 8 in morning to 7 in evening.
Entrance tickets cost 5euros per person.

Travel Tips to Braga

  • If you are staying in Braga plan a day’s outing to the country’s first capital nearby, the World Heritage city of Guimarães.
  • Visit Bom Jesus do Monte a pilgrimage site near Braga.
  • Porto, a city of monumental bridges is 55kms south of Braga.

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