Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
, capital of the northwestern
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
district of Braga
The district of Braga ( pt, Distrito de Braga ) is a district in the northwest of Portugal. The district capital is the city of Braga, and it is bordered by the district of Viana do Castelo in the north, Vila Real in the east, Spain ( Galicia) ...
and of the historical and cultural
Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in 2021), representing the seventh largest municipality in Portugal (by population). Its area is 183.40 km
2. Its agglomerated urban area extends from the
Cávado River
The Cávado River ( pt, rio Cávado; ) is a river located in northern Portugal.
It has its source in Serra do Larouco at an elevation of above sea level. It runs from Fonte da Pipa, near the triangulation station Larouco, to its mouth into t ...
to the Este River. It is the most populated urban area in Portugal outside
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
and
Porto Metropolitan Area
The Porto Metropolitan Area ( pt, Área Metropolitana do Porto; abbreviated as AMP) is a metropolitan area in northern Portugal centered on the City of Porto, Portugal's second largest city.Fernanda Paula Oliveira (2009), The metropolitan area, ...
s.
It is host to the oldest Portuguese archdiocese, the
Archdiocese of Braga
The Archdiocese of Braga ( la, Archidioecesis Bracarensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is known for its use of the Rite of Braga, a use of the liturgy distinct from the Roma ...
of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and it is the seat of the
Primacy of the Spains
The Primacy of the Spains ( pt, Primaz das Espanhas; es, Primado de las Españas, ca, Primat de les Espanyes) is the primacy of the Iberian Peninsula, historically known as Hispania or in the plural as the Spains. The Archbishop of Braga, in ...
. During the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
, then known as Bracara Augusta, the settlement was the capital of the province of
Gallaecia
Gallaecia, also known as Hispania Gallaecia, was the name of a Roman province in the north-west of Hispania, approximately present-day Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal, Asturias and León (province), Leon and the lat ...
and later of the
Kingdom of the Suebi
The Kingdom of the Suebi ( la, Regnum Suevorum), also called the Kingdom of Galicia ( la, Regnum Galicia) or Suebi Kingdom of Galicia ( la, Galicia suevorum regnum), was a Germanic post-Roman kingdom that was one of the first to separate from ...
that was one of the first to separate from the Roman Empire. Inside of the city there is also a
castle tower that can be visited. Nowadays, Braga is a major hub for inland Northern Portugal and it is an important stop on
the Portuguese Way
The Portuguese Way ( pt, Caminho Português, es, Camino Portugués) is the name of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes starting in Portugal. It begins at Porto or Lisbon. From Porto, along the Douro River, pilgrims travel north crossing t ...
path of the Road of St James. The city was also the
European Youth Capital
Turin (2010)
Antwerp (2011)
Braga (2012)
Maribor (2013)
Thessaloniki (2014)
Ganja (2016)
The 'European Youth Capital'' (abbreviated EYC) is the title awarded by the European Youth Forum to a European city, designed to empower ...
in 2012.
History
Pre-Roman
Human occupation of the region of Braga dates back thousands of years, documented by vestiges of monumental structures starting in the
Megalithic
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
era. During the
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
, the
Castro culture
Castro culture ( gl, cultura castrexa, pt, cultura castreja, ast, cultura castriega, es, cultura castreña, meaning "culture of the hillforts") is the archaeological term for the material culture of the northwestern regions of the Iberian Pe ...
extended into the northwest, characterized by
Bracari The Bracari or Callaeci Bracari were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, living in the northwest of modern Portugal, in the province of Minho, between the rivers Tâmega and Cávado. After the conquest of the region beginning in 136BC, the Ro ...
peoples who occupied the high ground in strategically located fortified settlements (
castrum
In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a po ...
).
The region became the domain of the ''Callaici Bracarii'', a
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
tribe who occupied what is now northern Portugal, Galicia and Asturias in the northwest of
Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
.
Roman rule
The
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
began their conquest of the region around 136 BC, and finished it, by conquering the northern regions, during the reign of
Emperor Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
. The civitas of Bracara Augusta was founded in 20 BC; in the context of the administrative reorganization of these Roman acquisitions, Bracara was rededicated to the Emperor taking on the name ''Bracara Augusta''. The city of Bracara Augusta developed greatly during the 1st century and reached its maximum extension around the 2nd century.
Towards the end of the 3rd century, the
Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles t ...
promoted the city to the status of capital of the administrative area
Conventus bracarensis
{{unreferenced, date=July 2010
The Conventus Bracarensis ( conventus iuridicus of Bracara Augusta), was a Roman administrative unit located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in Gallaecia. Its name derives from its capital Bracara Augusta ...
, the southwestern area of the newly founded Roman province of
Gallaecia
Gallaecia, also known as Hispania Gallaecia, was the name of a Roman province in the north-west of Hispania, approximately present-day Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal, Asturias and León (province), Leon and the lat ...
.
Braga in Late Antiquity and Middle Ages
![Iberia 500](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Iberia_500.svg)
The city was described as prosperous by the poet
Ausonius
Decimius Magnus Ausonius (; – c. 395) was a Roman poet and teacher of rhetoric from Burdigala in Aquitaine, modern Bordeaux, France. For a time he was tutor to the future emperor Gratian, who afterwards bestowed the consulship on him ...
, in the 4th century.
Between 402 and 470 the
Germanic Invasions of the Iberian Peninsula occurred, and the area was conquered by the
Suebi, a
Germanic people from Central Europe. According to records the city was protected by a wall, still in use since the 3rd century, and the old
Roman theatre was repurposed into a fortress.
In 410, the Suebi established a
Kingdom
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
in northwest Iberia covering what is present-day's Northern half of Portugal, Galicia and Asturias, which they maintained as ''Gallaecia'', and had Bracara as their capital. This kingdom was founded by
Hermeric
Hermeric (died 441) was the king of the Suevi from at least 419 and possibly as early as 406 until his abdication in 438.
Biography
Before 419
Nothing is known for sure about Hermeric before 419, the year in which he is first mentioned; ...
and lasted for over 150 years. However, the departure of the
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The ...
and the arrival of the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
brought a new instability to the region. Between 419 and 422, Braga was threatened by the Vandals so it prepared itself for a siege, closed its gates and refused to open them; this led to the destruction of the surrounding countryside.
Nevertheless, between 429 and 455, the Suebi made a military comeback in Iberia reinforcing their hold in
Galeicia and
Lusitania
Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and
a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusita ...
.
In 455, while the Visigothic king
Theodoric II
Theodoric II, ''Teodorico'' in Spanish and Portuguese, ( 426 – early 466) was the eighth King of the Visigoths, from 453 to 466.
Biography
Theoderic II, son of Theodoric I, obtained the throne by killing his elder brother Thorismund. The Engli ...
sacked Braga, utterly destroying many historical and archaeological records,
the Suebi king
Rechiar
Rechiar or Flavius Rechiarius (after 415 – December 456) was the third Suevic king of Gallaecia, from 448 until his death, and also the first one to be born in Gallaecia. He was one of the most innovative and belligerent of the Suevi monarch ...
escaped the city, wounded, to
Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
. We still have records of a list of dioceses and parishes of Braga, made in 570, however.
By about 584, the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
took permanent control of Gallaecia from the Suebi, and Braga was made a provincial capital.
Because historians are still unsure of the dating of the
Chapel of São Pedro de Balsemão, in
Lamego
Lamego (; cel-x-proto, Lamecum) is a city and municipality in the Viseu District, in the Norte Region of the Douro in northern Portugal. Located on the shores of the Balsemão River, the municipality has a population of 26,691, in an area of 165 ...
, currently Braga can boast that it hosts the oldest chapel in Portugal, the
Chapel of São Frutuoso. The chapel was built by the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
on top of a Roman temple to
Asclepius
Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of ...
and it was made to be a Royal Chapel. In 656 AD, it was consecrated by
Saint Fructuosus to be used as his tomb.
![Rua Júlio Lima](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Rua_J%C3%BAlio_Lima.JPG)
Historical records show, so far, that the first known
bishop of Braga was named ''Paternus'',
who famously renounced
priscillianism
Priscillianism was a Christian sect developed in the Iberian Peninsula under the Roman Empire in the 4th century by Priscillian. It is derived from the Gnostic doctrines taught by Marcus, an Egyptian from Memphis. Priscillianism was later cons ...
at the
First Council of Toledo
The First Council of Toledo was held at Toledo, Spain, in September of 400. The council was assembled under Archbishop Patronus with its primary purpose to condemn the Priscillian heresy, to receive back Priscillians, and uphold the Nicene Creed. ...
, in September of 400 AD. We also have records of a bishop named ''Balconius'' (415-447), who was also recorded to be present when the Iberian clergy received, in 435, a German priest from
Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...
accompanied by several Greeks with news from the
Council of Ephesus (431).
''Balconius'' was also a contemporary and correspondent of
Pope Leo I
Pope Leo I ( 400 – 10 November 461), also known as Leo the Great, was bishop of Rome from 29 September 440 until his death. Pope Benedict XVI said that Leo's papacy "was undoubtedly one of the most important in the Church's history."
Leo was ...
.
Tradition, however, states that
Saint Peter of Rates
Peter of Rates ( pt, Pedro de Rates), also known in English as Peter of Braga, is traditionally considered to be the first bishop of Braga between the years AD 45 and 60. Tradition says he was ordered to preach the Christian faith by James th ...
was the first bishop of Braga, a Jew personally elevated to the role by
Saint James. Another bishop,
Saint Ovidius (d. 135 AD) is also sometimes considered one of the first bishops of this city.
Braga had an important role in the ''
Christianization
Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...
'' of the Iberian Peninsula. In the early 5th century,
Paulus Orosius
Paulus Orosius (; born 375/385 – 420 AD), less often Paul Orosius in English, was a Roman priest, historian and theologian, and a student of Augustine of Hippo. It is possible that he was born in ''Bracara Augusta'' (now Braga, Portugal), th ...
(a friend of
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
) wrote several theological works that expounded the Christian faith. While thanks to the work of
Saint Martin of Braga
Martin of Braga (in Latin ''Martinus Bracarensis'', in Portuguese, known as ''Martinho de Dume'' 520–580 AD) was an archbishop of Bracara Augusta in Gallaecia (now Braga in Portugal), a missionary, a monastic founder, and an ecclesiastica ...
the Suebi in
Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
renounced the
Arian and
Priscillianist
Priscillianism was a Christian sect developed in the Iberian Peninsula under the Roman Empire in the 4th century by Priscillian. It is derived from the Gnostic doctrines taught by Marcus, an Egyptian from Memphis. Priscillianism was later consi ...
heresies during two synods held here in the 6th century.
It is also worth noting that Rechiar, the suebi king, was also the first Germanic king in Europe to convert to
Chalcedonian Christianism, predating
Clovis of the
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
. At the time, Martin also founded an important
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
in
Dumio
The Monastery of Dumio (sometimes Dumium or Dumio, in Portuguese ''São Martinho de Dume''), is a former paleo-Christian monastery in the civil parish of Dume, municipality of Braga, in northwestern Portugal. Originally a Roman villa, it was the ...
(''Dume''), and it was in Braga that the
Archbishopric of Braga held their councils.
As a consequence, the Archbishops of Braga later claimed the title of ''Primatus Totus Hispania'', claiming supremacy over the entire Hispanic church. Yet, their authority was never accepted throughout
Hispania
Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hispania ...
, and today they only retain the title of Primate of Portugal. The bishop ''Balconius'', who was later elevated to become the first
Archbishop of Braga
The Archdiocese of Braga ( la, Archidioecesis Bracarensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is known for its use of the Rite of Braga, a use of the liturgy distinct from the Roman R ...
, and according to later sources, was also the first to be given said title.
The transition from
Visigothic
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is kno ...
reigns to the
Muslim conquest of Iberia
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania, also known as the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom, was the initial expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate over Hispania (in the Iberian Peninsula) from 711 to 718. The conquest resulted in the decline of t ...
was very obscure, representing a period of decline for the city. The Moors briefly captured Braga early in the 8th century, but were repelled by Christian forces under
Alfonso III of Asturias in 868 with intermittent attacks until 1040 when they were definitively ousted by
Ferdinand I of León and Castile
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
. As a consequence, the
bishopric
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
was restored in 1070 and elevated to new heights. The first new
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
, Peter of Braga (?-1096), immediately started rebuilding the
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
(which was modified many times during the following centuries). According to historical records and oral tradition, the Archbishop
Diego Gelmírez
Diego Gelmírez or Xelmírez ( la, Didacus Gelmirici; c. 1069 – c. 1140) was the second bishop (from 1100) and first archbishop (from 1120) of the Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, modern Spain. He is a prominent fig ...
of
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
, fearing the rise of the Cathedral of Braga, stole the
relic
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
s of Braga's saints in an attempt to diminish the religious importance of the city,
the relics only
returned to Braga in the 1990s.
When, after his death,
Alfonso III the Great of the
Kingdom of Asturias
The Kingdom of Asturias ( la, Asturum Regnum; ast, Reinu d'Asturies) was a kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula founded by the Visigothic nobleman Pelagius. It was the first Christian political entity established after the Umayyad conquest of ...
divided his kingdom among his sons in 908, he assigned the
Kingdom of Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia ( gl, Reino de Galicia, or ''Galiza''; es, Reino de Galicia; pt, Reino da Galiza; la, Galliciense Regnum) was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire north ...
to
Ordoño of Galicia, who established his capital in Braga. Between 1093 and 1147, Braga became the residential seat of the Portuguese court. In the early 12th century,
Count Henry of Portugal and bishop
Geraldo de Moissac reclaimed the archbishopric seat for Braga, with power over a large area in Iberia. The medieval city developed around the cathedral, with the maximum authority in the city retained by the archbishop.
Braga in the Kingdom of Portugal
Braga as the main center of Christianity in Iberia, during the Reconquista (until the emergence of
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
and, later, the conquest of
Toledo from the Muslims, in 1085), held a prominent stage in medieval politics, being a major contributor to the Independence of Portugal with the intervention of the
Archbishop D. Paio Mendes in the Vatican, with
Pope Alexander III, which lead to the promulgation of the
Bula Manifestis Probatum, in 1179, recognizing Portugal as an independent Kingdom under
D. Afonso I Henriques. It is traditionally told that the future king was baptized by
Saint Gerald of Braga, although the exact location is still being debated. Because of this support for D. Afonso Henriques, the new king gave large privileges to the city of Braga handing it over to direct control of the Church, basically making it a personal fiefdom of the Archbishop. This legal particularism continued all throughout history until the
instauration of the
Republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
giving the city and its surrounding area the nickname of "''Paiz Bracarense''" (roughly translated as "Country of Braga").
In the 16th century, due to its distance from the coast and provincial status, Braga did not profit from the adventures associated with the
Age of Portuguese Discoveries (which favoured cities like
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
,
Évora
Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District.
Due to its well-preserved old ...
and
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...
, new seats for the Portuguese court). Yet, Archbishop Diogo de Sousa, who sponsored several urban improvements in the city, including the enlargement of streets, the creation of public squares and the foundation of hospitals and new churches managed to modernize the community. He expanded and remodelled the cathedral by adding a new chapel in the
Manueline
The Manueline ( pt, estilo manuelino, ), occasionally known as Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese architectural style originating in the 16th century, during the Portuguese Renaissance and Age of Discoveries. Manuel ...
style, and generally turning the mediaeval town into a Renaissance city.
A similar period of rejuvenation occurred during the 18th century, when the archbishops of the
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Ame ...
contracted architects like
André Soares and Carlos Amarante, to modernize and rejuvenate the city; they began a series of architectural transformations to churches and civic institutions in the Baroque style, including the municipal hall, public library, the
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte
The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is a Portuguese Catholic shrine in Tenões, outside the city of Braga, in northern Portugal. Its name means ''Good Jesus of the Mount''.
This sanctuary is a notable example of Christian pilgrimage site with a ...
and many urban palaces.
D. Luís de Sousa was another main archbishop who, with other merits, ordered the Church of the Parish of Saint Victor to be rebuilt, ordered the
Campo de S. Ana to be enlarged, to rebuild the Church of S. Vicente, to requalify the now non-existent Chapel of S. Sebastian and the construction of the Igreja dos Congregados which would later be monumentalized into the current version of the
Basilica of the Congregados. Likewise, under the auspices of this diplomatic archbishop, the
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
of the Braga Chapter, João Meira Carrilho, ordered the construction of the Chapel of the
Congregation of the Oratory
The Confederation of Oratories of Saint Philip Neri ( la, Confoederatio Oratorii Sancti Philippi Nerii) abbreviated CO and commonly known as the Oratorians is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men (priests and lay- ...
that existed within the Campo de S. Ana (modern day ''Avenida Central''). The old fortress built on top of the Roman theatre still stood in the 18th century, in the southern part of
Maximinos,
but in search of the Roman foundations it was eventually torn down and it is now an
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
.
In 1758, Braga, like many other places, was included in the census requested by the monarchy, under the
1st Marquis of Pombal. These records are known as the
Parochial Memories (''Memórias Paroquiais'') which can be consulted through various sources.
In March 1809 it was the scene of the
Battle of Braga
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, when French troops under
Marshal Soult
Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in Fren ...
took the town from its Portuguese garrison. With the invasion of French troops, during the
Peninsular Wars
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain, ...
the city was relegated, once again, to a provincial status. But, by the second half of that century, with influence from Portuguese immigrants living in Brazil, new money and tastes resulted in improvements to architecture and infrastructures.
Republic
In the 20th century Braga faced similar periods of growth and decline; demographic and urban pressures, from urban-to-rural migration meant that the city's infrastructures had to be improved in order to satisfy greater demands.
Geography
Physical geography
![Bom Jesus (Braga)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Bom_Jesus_%28Braga%29.jpg)
Situated in the heart of
Minho, Braga is located in a transitional region between the east and west: between mountains, forests, grand valleys, plains and fields, constructing natural spaces, moulded by human intervention. Geographically, with an area of it is bordered in the north by the municipalities of
Vila Verde
Vila Verde () is a municipality in the district of Braga in Portugal. The population in 2021 was 46,446, and
Amares
Amares () is a municipality in Braga District, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 18,889, in an area of 81.95 km².
The present Mayor is Manuel Moreira, elected by the Social Democratic Party. The municipal holiday is June 13.
Demographic ...
, northeast and east by
Póvoa de Lanhoso
Póvoa de Lanhoso (, ) is a municipality in the district of Braga, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 21,886, in an area of 134.65 km².
The present Mayor is Avelino Silva, elected by the Social Democratic Party. The municipal holiday is Ma ...
, south and southeast with
Guimarães and
Vila Nova de Famalicão
Vila Nova de Famalicão () is a Portuguese town with a population of approximately 133,048 inhabitants () in an area of 201,59 km2, subdivided into 49 parishes (Administrative Division of 11 Unions of Parishes and 23 Parish Councils,). Insert ...
and west by the municipality of
Barcelos.
The topography in the municipality is characterized by irregular valleys, interspersed by mountainous spaces, fed by rivers running in parallel with the principal rivers. In the north it is limited by the
Cávado River
The Cávado River ( pt, rio Cávado; ) is a river located in northern Portugal.
It has its source in Serra do Larouco at an elevation of above sea level. It runs from Fonte da Pipa, near the triangulation station Larouco, to its mouth into t ...
, in the south by terrain of the Serra dos Picos to a height of and towards the east by the Serra dos Carvalhos to a height of , opening to the municipalities of Vila Nova de Famalicão and Barcelos. The territory extends from the northeast to southwest, accompanying the valleys of the two rivers, fed by many of its tributaries, forming small platforms between and .
The municipality lies between and , with the urbanized centre located at approximately . In the north, where the municipality is marked by the Cavado, the terrain is semi-planar, the east is mountainous owing to the Serra do Carvalho , Serra dos Picos , Monte do Sameiro and Monte de Santa Marta . Between the Serra do Carvalho and Serra dos Picos is the River Este, forming the valley of Vale d’Este. Similarly, between the Serra dos Picos and Monte do Sameiro exists the plateau of Sobreposta-Pedralva. To the south and west, the terrain is a mix of mountains, plateaus and medium-size valleys, permitting the passage of the River Este, and giving birth to other confluences including the River Veiga, River Labriosca and various ravines.
Climate
Braga has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
similar to other cities in the northwest Iberian Peninsula except for having significantly hotter summer temperatures due to being some distance from the ocean: the absolute maximum is as much as higher than neighbouring
A Coruña
A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and s ...
or
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
. The highest and lowest recorded temperatures are and respectively.
The climate is affected by the Atlantic Ocean which influences westerly winds that are channeled through the region's valleys, transporting large humid air masses. Consequently, the climate tends to be pleasant with clearly defined seasons. The air masses have the effect of maintaining morning relative humidity around 80%: annual mean temperatures hover between and . Owing to nocturnal cooling, frost usually forms frequently between three and four months of the year (about 30 days of frost annually), and annually the region receives of precipitation, with the major intensity occurring between fall/winter and spring.
Human geography
![Braga freguesias](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Braga_freguesias.png)
The municipality is densely populated, with approximately 962 inhabitants per square kilometre, equivalent to 181,474 residents (2011); it is one of the more populous territories in Portugal, as well as one of the "younger" markets.
The majority of the population concentrates in the urban area of Braga, itself, where densities are more than 10000 per square kilometre.
The Bracarense population consists of approximately 78954 male and 85238 female individuals, with 35% of the population less than 25 years of age, while seniors conform to 11% of the population; the working population of the municipality occupies 54% of this structure.
[ Although largely native Portuguese, other segments of the population include ]Brazilians
Brazilians ( pt, Brasileiros, ) are the citizens of Brazil. A Brazilian can also be a person born abroad to a Brazilian parent or legal guardian as well as a person who acquired Brazilian citizenship. Brazil is a multiethnic society, which me ...
, Africans (principally from the former Portuguese colonies), Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
and eastern European peoples, namely Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
.[
]
The urban structure includes approximately 70,268 residences (2001), even as the typical classic representation of family only includes 51,173 members in the municipality.[ The "extra" homes are primarily temporary residences, normally for students, migrant workers and professionals working in the city. There is, also, a great number of homes owned by Portuguese residents living overseas (who use the homes periodically while in Portugal) even as constant and development has attracted new growth in the population.][ Further, the difference in resident to transitory population means that, on average, the population of Braga hovers between 174,000 and 230,000 individuals annually.][
Growth in the population, roughly 16.2% between 1991 and 2001, occurred mainly in the older suburban civil parishes, such as Nogueira (124.6%), Frossos (68.4%), ]Real
Real may refer to:
Currencies
* Brazilian real (R$)
* Central American Republic real
* Mexican real
* Portuguese real
* Spanish real
* Spanish colonial real
Music Albums
* ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000)
* ''Real'' (Bright album) (2010) ...
(59.8%) and Lamaçães (50.9%).[
]
Civil parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 37 civil parishes (''freguesias
''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Port ...
''):
* Adaúfe
* Arentim e Cunha
* Braga (Maximinos, Sé e Cividade)
Braga (Maximinos, Sé e Cividade) is a civil parish in the municipality of Braga, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes Maximinos, Sé and Cividade. The population in 2011 was 14,572,[Braga (São José de São Lázaro e São João do Souto)
Braga (São José de São Lázaro e São João do Souto) is a civil parish in the municipality of Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the histor ...]
* Cabreiros e Passos (São Julião)
* Celeirós, Aveleda e Vimieiro
* Crespos e Pousada
* Escudeiros e Penso (Santo Estêvão e São Vicente)
* Espinho
* Esporões
* Este (São Pedro e São Mamede)
Este (São Pedro e São Mamede) is a civil parish in the municipality of Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho P ...
* Ferreiros e Gondizalves
* Figueiredo
* Gualtar
* Guisande e Oliveira (São Pedro)
* Lamas Lamas may refer to:
* the plural form of Lama, a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism.
Places
*Lamas Province, Peru
**Lamas District
** Lamas, Peru, the capital of Lamas Province and seat of Lamas District
*Lamas (Braga), a paris ...
* Lomar e Arcos
* Merelim (São Paio), Panoias e Parada de Tibães
* Merelim (São Pedro) e Frossos
* Mire de Tibães
* Morreira e Trandeiras
* Nogueira, Fraião e Lamaçães
* Nogueiró e Tenões
* Padim da Graça
* Palmeira
* Pedralva
* Priscos
Priscos is a Portugal, Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Braga. The population in 2011 was 1,341, in an area of 3.65 km2.
References
Freguesias of Braga
{{braga-geo-stub ...
* Real, Dume e Semelhe
Real, Dume e Semelhe is a Freguesia (Portugal), civil parish in the municipality of Braga Municipality, Braga, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes Real, Dume and Semelhe. The population in 2011 was 11,700,
* Ruilhe
Ruilhe is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. B ...
* Santa Lucrécia de Algeriz e Navarra
* São Vicente
* São Victor
* Sequeira
Sequeira is a Portugal, Portuguese ''freguesia'' ("civil parish"), located in the municipality of Braga. The population in 2011 was 1,811, in an area of 4.35 km².
References
Freguesias of Braga
{{braga-geo-stub ...
* Sobreposta
* Tadim
Tadim is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. B ...
* Tebosa
Tebosa is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. B ...
* Vilaça e Fradelos
The city of Braga proper includes only the following urban civil parishes
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. ...
:
* Arcos
* Cividade
* Dume
* Espinho
* Ferreiros
* Fraião
* Frossos
* Gondizalves
* Gualtar
* Lamaçães
*Lamas Lamas may refer to:
* the plural form of Lama, a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism.
Places
*Lamas Province, Peru
**Lamas District
** Lamas, Peru, the capital of Lamas Province and seat of Lamas District
*Lamas (Braga), a paris ...
* Lomar
* Maximinos
* Nogueira
* Nogueiró
*Real
Real may refer to:
Currencies
* Brazilian real (R$)
* Central American Republic real
* Mexican real
* Portuguese real
* Spanish real
* Spanish colonial real
Music Albums
* ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000)
* ''Real'' (Bright album) (2010) ...
* São João do Souto
* São José de São Lázaro
* São Pedro de Este
* São Vicente
* São Vítor
* Sé
* Tenões
There is no formal city government, only municipal government authority, with local administration handled by the individual ''juntas de freguesia'' or civil parish councils.
Politics and government
Economy
The major industries in the municipality are construction, metallurgy and mechanics, electrical and electronic equipment, software development and web design. The computer industry is significant. Braga hosts the Primavera company headquarters, a leading Portuguese enterprise project portfolio management software. The INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory
International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), in Braga, Portugal, a fully international research organization in Europe in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. INL is the result of a joint decision of the Governments of Portugal ...
, a joint research center in nanotechnology established and funded by both the Portuguese and the Spanish governments, is also headquartered in Braga. Automotive industry has a long history in Braga. Aptiv
Aptiv PLC is an Irish-American automotive technology supplier with headquarters in Dublin. Aptiv grew out of the now-defunct American company, Delphi Automotive Systems, which itself was formerly a component of General Motors.
History
The com ...
operates a technical center for the development and production of automotive infotainment systems. This plant was previously owned by Grundig
Grundig (; ) is a German consumer electronics manufacturer owned by the Turkish Arçelik A.Ş., the white goods (major appliance) manufacturer of Turkish conglomerate Koç Holding. The company made domestic appliances and personal-care prod ...
. Next to Aptiv, Robert Bosch GmbH operates a similar technical center, mainly for branches of infotainment and sensors. This plant was previously founded by Blaupunkt
Blaupunkt GmbH () was a German manufacturer of mostly car audio equipment. It was owned by Robert Bosch GmbH from 1933 until 1 March 2009, when it was sold to Aurelius AG of Germany. It filed for bankruptcy in late 2015 with liquidation proceed ...
. Bosch has been working closely with the University of Minho
The University of Minho (''Universidade do Minho'') is a public university in Portugal, divided into the following campuses:
* Largo do Paço (rectorate), in Braga
* Campus of Gualtar, in Braga
* Convento dos Congregados, in Braga
* Campus of Az ...
in Portugal since 2012, producing one of the country's largest university-corporate partnerships. In the process, many projects for the mobility of the future are being tackled. In 2018, German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Oppo ...
and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa were on site for the launch of a new technology campus. The university, headquartered in Braga, is also by itself a major driving force of the city's economy.
Transport
Although the region hosts its own airfield (Aerodromo de Braga
Braga Airport is an airport in Palmeira, north northwest of Braga, Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Sou ...
) in Palmeira, the principal airport of note is Sá Carneiro International Airport located away, in Porto Metropolitan Area
The Porto Metropolitan Area ( pt, Área Metropolitana do Porto; abbreviated as AMP) is a metropolitan area in northern Portugal centered on the City of Porto, Portugal's second largest city.Fernanda Paula Oliveira (2009), The metropolitan area, ...
. Access is made by public transit to the city centre (roughly 40 minutes) or Aerobus (50 minutes).
Braga is serviced by both regional and high-speed rail connection to major centres in the region.
It has an efficient bus network (TUB - Transportes Urbanos de Braga) with 76 lines in the urban area and over a 300 km network.
Architecture
File:Avenida_Central_em_Braga.jpg, Central Avenue in Braga
File:Campo das Hortas 2017 (7).jpg, Campo das Hortas, Braga
![Capela dos Coimbras II](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Capela_dos_Coimbras_II.jpg)
The region of Braga is scattered with Neolithic, Roman, Medieval and Modernist monuments, buildings and structures attracting tourists. Although there are many examples of these structures, only the following have been classified by the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico as National Monuments:
Archaeological
* Castro of São Mamede ()
* Roman milestones
A milestone is a marker of distance along roads.
Milestone may also refer to:
Measurements
*Milestone (project management), metaphorically, markers of reaching an identifiable stage in any task or the project
*Software release life cycle state, s ...
, several Roman-era granite markers currently on display at the Museum D. Diogo de Sousa, dating from AD 41 to 238, that is, the reigns of Emperor Claudius
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...
to Maximinus II
Galerius Valerius Maximinus, born as Daza (20 November 270 – July 313), was Roman emperor from 310 to 313 CE. He became embroiled in the Civil wars of the Tetrarchy between rival claimants for control of the empire, in which he was defeated ...
.
* Roman Thermae of Maximinus
The Roman Thermae of Maximinus ( pt, Termas Romanas de Maximinos), are the archaeological ruins of a monumental building and public baths, whose construction was integrated into the urban renewal of the civitas of ''Bracara Augusta'' (later Braga) ...
( pt, Termas romanas de Maximinos/Alto da Cividade/Colina dos Maximinos), discovered in the 20th century, the thermae
In ancient Rome, (from Greek , "hot") and (from Greek ) were facilities for bathing. usually refers to the large Roman Empire, imperial public bath, bath complexes, while were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed i ...
occupy , in the civil parish of Cividade, and were constructed in the 1st to late 3rd century;
Civic
* Arch of Porta Nova/''Rua de Souto'' (), a Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and Neoclassical arch, designed by André Soares in the late 18th century, and decorates the western gate of a medieval wall. It was opened in 1512 and since has been traditionally used to present to promote to visiting dignitaries and celebrities.
* Palace of the Falcões ( pt, Palácio dos Falcões/Governo Civil de Braga), a Baroque-era palace originally commissioned by Francisco de Meira Carrilho on 23 July 1703, and later, upon successive renovations, used by the Civil Governor's residence;
* Fountain of the Idol ( pt, Fonte do Ídolo), the 1st century Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
fountain dedicated to an indigenous god, located in the central civil parish of São José de São Lázaro;
* Fountain of the Iron Waters ( pt, Fonte das Águas Férreas), following the discovery in July 1173 of iron-rich springs in the parish of Fraião, Archbishop Gaspar de Bragança ordered the municipal council to begin the canalization of these waters for public use, giving rise to a series of fountains, such as the Baroque decorated main fountain;
* Hospital of São Marcos ( pt, Hospital de São Marcos), with a façade comparable to any religious monument in the city, the Hospital of São Marcos, is an example of the complex Baroque style of Carlos Amarante
Carlos Luís Ferreira da Cruz Amarante (Braga, 1748 - Oporto, 1815) was an important Portuguese engineer and architect.
Amarante's father was musician in the court of the Bishop of Braga. He began pursuing an ecclesiastical career, but left t ...
, featuring ornate double belfry and accents;
* Pillory of Braga ( pt, Pelourinho de Braga), the 15th century pillory, that marks municipal authority for the town, was constructed, demolished and moved various times, before being relocated on the grounds of the Sé Cathedral;
* Palace of Raio ( pt, Palácio de Raio), an 18th-century Baroque-Rococo urban residence, with richly decorated blue azulejo façade of Andre Soares;
* Residence of the Crivos ( pt, Casas das Gelosias/Casa dos Crivos), a Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
-era shop-residence constructed outside the old walls characteristic of late Renaissance architecture and one of the few examples of a building covered in wood-lattice façade from this period.
* Seven Sources Aqueduct ( pt, Sete Fontes), a complex network of aqueducts that provided potable water to citizenry of Braga;
* Theatro Circo ( pt, Teatro Circo de Braga), 20th century revivalist theatre, known for its architecture, as much for the films, theatre plays and performances;
* Bridge of Prado ()
* Bridge of Prozelo ()
Military
* Tower of Santiago ( pt, Torre de Santiago e troço das antigas muralhas de Braga), part of the ancient walls of Braga, the Tower of Santiago was designed by Portuguese Baroque master André Soares, based on a mixture of Gothic, Baroque and Rococo elements;
* Tower of Castle of Braga
Castle of Braga ( pt, Castelo de Braga) is a historical fortification and defensive line encircling the city of Braga. While, in fact, the only remains of this structure are the various gates and towers along its perimeter, the main keep tower, ...
(), actually the remnants of the castle's keep
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
, constructed during the reign of King Denis of Portugal, which was part of the defensive system of the city of Braga, and included a semi-circular walled enclosure centred on the Sé Cathedral.
Religious
* Archiepiscopal Palace of Braga ( pt, Antigo Paço Arquiepiscopal de Braga), between the 14th–18th centuries, a religious residence, but after the 20th century, the home of the municipal offices, public library and archive;
* Chapel of the Espírito Santo ( pt, Capela do Espírito Santo), an example of mixed styles, the chapel includes elements of Baroque, Neoclassical and Mannerist eras;
* Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Consolaçã ( pt, Capela de Nossa Senhora da Consolação), a simple single-nave chapel constructed in the Baroque-style
* Chapel of São Bento ( pt, Capela de São Bento), constructed in the middle of the 18th century, the chapel was blessed by Archbishop José of Bragança in 1755;
* Chapel of Senhor do Bom Sucesso ( pt, Capela do Senhor do Bom Sucesso), a Baroque and Neoclassical chapel, is highlighted by a main façade, typical of André Soares, but constructed by Carlos Amarante
Carlos Luís Ferreira da Cruz Amarante (Braga, 1748 - Oporto, 1815) was an important Portuguese engineer and architect.
Amarante's father was musician in the court of the Bishop of Braga. He began pursuing an ecclesiastical career, but left t ...
, at the beginning of his career, who timidly applied Neoclassical decorative elements;
* Chapel of the Coimbras (), a Manueline
The Manueline ( pt, estilo manuelino, ), occasionally known as Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese architectural style originating in the 16th century, during the Portuguese Renaissance and Age of Discoveries. Manuel ...
chapel, probably designed by Castillian architect Filipe Odarte, with sculptures attributed to Hodart, an altar by João de Ruão and posterior tomb sculptures by the same artist.
* Church of Santa Cruz ( pt, Igreja de Santa Cruz), and the ''Hospital of the Brotherhood of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem'' ( pt, Irmandade de Santa Cruz de Jerusalem), constructed in 1581, and later supported by the nuns of the Order Hospitaler;
* Church of Santa Eulália ( pt, Igreja de Santa Eulália), is a 13th–14th century Romanesque church, located near Bom Jesus do Monte
The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is a Portuguese Catholic shrine in Tenões, outside the city of Braga, in northern Portugal. Its name means ''Good Jesus of the Mount''.
This sanctuary is a notable example of Christian pilgrimage site with a ...
;
* Church of Santa Maria ( pt, Igreja Paroquial de Ferreiros/Igreja de Santa Maria), constructed in 1560, under the orders of Archbishop Bartolomeu dos Mártires, as a church of the Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
;
* Church of Santo André ( pt, Igreja Paroquial de Gondizalves/Igreja de Santo André), an example of the reformulations of the Modernist aesthetic of the mid-20th century: the 18th-century church was adapted and expanded after the parish's de-annexation in 1975;
* Chapel of São Frutuoso, also known as the Chapel of São Frutuoso of Montélios or the Chapel of São Salvador of Montélios, is a pre- Romanesque chapel, forming part of group of religious buildings that include the Royal Church originally built by the Visigoths in the 7th century, in the form of a Greek cross.
* Chapel of São Sebastião das Caravelheiras ( pt, Capela de São Sebastião das Caravelheiras)
* Church of São Martinho ( pt, Igreja Matriz de Espinho/Igreja de São Martinho), the Baroque and Classical parochial church of Espinho, known for its ornate façade and belfrey, as well as its Rococo interior;
* Church of São Miguel de Frossos ( pt, Igreja Paroquial de Frossos/Igreja de São Miguel), a 16th-century parochial church in the civil parish of Frossos;
* Church of São Miguel de Gualtar ( pt, Igreja Paroquial de Gualtar/Igreja de São Miguel), part of the intense building period of the 16th–17th century, the parochial church of Gultar was constructed in the 17th century, but later remodelled during the 18th century;
* Church of São Paio ( pt, Igreja Paroquial de Arcos/Igreja de São Paio), located in Arcos, the church is an early 18th-century church (built in 1706);
* Church of São Paulo ( pt, Igreja de São Paulo e Seminário de Santiago), the historical seminary and church of Saint Paul with its contrast between stoic façade and decorated Baroque interior, built in the era of archbishop Bartholomew
Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو ...
;
* Church of São Pedro de Lomar ( pt, Igreja de São Pedro de Lomar), remnant of ancient Benedictine monastery of São Pedro in Lomar, the Church of Saint Peter exemplifies a mix of Baroque, Mannerist and Neoclassical architecture;
* Church of São Pedro de Maximinos ( pt, Igreja de São Pedro de Maximinos), known for the missing organ of organist Manuel de Sá Couto;
* Church of São Tiago ( pt, Igreja Paroquial da Cividade/Igreja de São Tiago)
* Church of São Vicente ( pt, Igreja de São Vicente)
* Convent of Nossa Senhora do Carmo ( pt, Convento de Nossa Senhora do Carmo), principally recognizable for its central spire/belfrey, which was designed by João de Moura Coutinho de Almeida e Eça, and constructed in the 17th–18th century;
* Church of the Misericórdia ( pt, Igreja da Misericórdia)
* Church of the Third Order of St. Francis ( pt, Igreja dos Terceiros), the ''Terceiros'' began the process of constructing their church in 1685, which they dedicated to ''Our Lady of Conception'' ( pt, Nossa Senhora da Conceição);
* Church, Convent and College of the Congregation of São Filipe de Néri ( pt, Igreja dos Congregados), attributed to the architect André Soares, for the complex/risky façade of the church and corner convent windows, Monk's chapel (or Chapel of Our Lady of the Appearance), and retable of ''Our Lady of Pain'' ( pt, Nossa Senhora das Dores)
* Convent of Nossa Senhora da Conceição ( pt, Convento da Nossa Senhora da Conceição), which includes the Chapel of São Domingos, an 18th-century convent, home to the Instituto Monsenhor Ariosa;
* Convent of Pópulo ( pt, Convento do Pópulo), the Mannerist, Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical austere elements of the convent belying the extravagant interior, that was originally the home to Augustine monks, highlighted by the Baroque façade of the Church of Pópulo ( pt, Igreja de Pópulo);
* Convent of Salvador ( pt, Convento do Salvador/Lar Conde de Agrolongo), began with the need to transfer the nuns from the Monastery of Vitorino das Donas in 1528
* Convent of São Francisco de Montélios ( pt, Convento de São Francisco/Igreja de São Jerónimo de Real), the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical convent, highlighted by the imposing three-storey façade of the Church of São Jerónimo;
* Cross of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos ( pt, Cruzeiro da Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos), a Baroque cross on an ionic column, with an image of Christ in wood, surmounted by a rectangular Tuscan colonnade and roof;
* Cross of the Espírito Santo ( pt, Cruzeiro do Espírito Santo)
* Monastery of Dumio
The Monastery of Dumio (sometimes Dumium or Dumio, in Portuguese ''São Martinho de Dume''), is a former paleo-Christian monastery in the civil parish of Dume, municipality of Braga, in northwestern Portugal. Originally a Roman villa, it was the ...
( pt, Ruínas Arqueológicas de São Martinho de Dume), the ancient religious seat founded by Martin of Braga
Martin of Braga (in Latin ''Martinus Bracarensis'', in Portuguese, known as ''Martinho de Dume'' 520–580 AD) was an archbishop of Bracara Augusta in Gallaecia (now Braga in Portugal), a missionary, a monastic founder, and an ecclesiastical ...
in the provincial centre of Dume;
* Monastery of Tibães
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
( pt, Mosteiro de Tibães), the 17th–18th century Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monastery renowned for the ornate/artistic gilt work in its chancel and altars;
* Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte
The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is a Portuguese Catholic shrine in Tenões, outside the city of Braga, in northern Portugal. Its name means ''Good Jesus of the Mount''.
This sanctuary is a notable example of Christian pilgrimage site with a ...
(inscribed on the World Heritage List in July, 2019), constructed on Monte Santo, overlooking the urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
of Braga, the 18th to early-19th century, Neoclassic sanctuary and church (itself preceded by Baroque stairway), is reachable by trail or Bom Jesus funicular (one of the oldest in Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
);
* Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Sameiro ( pt, Santuário de Nossa Senhora do Sameiro), isolated on the hilltop of ''Monte do Sameiro'', the church and retreat began in 1861, from the mind of Father Martinho António Pereira da Silva, who wished to construct a monument dedicated to ''Our Lady of the Conception'';
* Sanctuary of Santa Maria Madalena ( pt, Santuário de Santa Maria Madalena/Santuário da Falperra), located on Monte Falperra, the Baroque-era sanctuary church, was designed by local architect André Soares, incorporating decorative elements into a two-bell tower homage to the Mary Magdalene;
* Sé Cathedral of Braga ( pt, Sé Catedral de Braga)
* Wayside shrine of São Brás ( pt, Alminhas de São Brás), although conjecturally a contemporary monument, the wayside shrine in Ferreiros has the characteristics of many Baroque monuments in Braga;
* Cross of Campo das Hortas ()
* Cross of Santana ()
* Cross of Tibães ()
Museums
In addition, many of the district's treasures and historical artifacts are housed in several museums that are scattered throughout the city, such as:
* Museum of the Biscainhos ( pt, Museu dos Biscainhos), housed in the historical ''Palace of the Biscainhos'', the museum exhibits a permanent collection of decorative art, that includes furniture
Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...
, ceramics
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
, European and Oriental porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...
, European Glass
Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...
, European and Portuguese watches
A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached b ...
and clock
A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and the ...
s;
* Treasure Museum of the Sé Cathedral ( pt, Tesouro Museu da Sé Catedral), the collection varies, but collects together artefacts from the 16th to 18th century during the period of religious/cultural exploration, associated with the cathedral, including images and azulejo
''Azulejo'' (, ; from the Arabic ''al- zillīj'', ) is a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. ''Azulejos'' are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, r ...
tiles;
* Museum of Image ( pt, Museu da Imagem), dedicated to photography, located near the ''Arco da Porta Nova'' and ''Braga Castle'';
* Museum Medina ( pt, Museu Medina), located in the same building as the Museum of Pius XII, the collection is the home to the 83 oil paintings and 21 drawings of the painter Henrique Medina;
* Museum of Nogueira da Silva ( pt, Museu Nogeuira da Silva), bequeathed to the University of Minho
The University of Minho (''Universidade do Minho'') is a public university in Portugal, divided into the following campuses:
* Largo do Paço (rectorate), in Braga
* Campus of Gualtar, in Braga
* Convento dos Congregados, in Braga
* Campus of Az ...
, the collection includes artefacts, paintings, furniture and sculptures collected over a lifetime, such as Renaissance artwork, 17th furniture, ceramics and objects in ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is ...
, silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
and religious art
Religious art is artistic imagery using religious inspiration and motifs and is often intended to uplift the mind to the spiritual. Sacred art involves the ritual and cultic practices and practical and operative aspects of the path of the spiritu ...
;
* Museum of Pius XII ( pt, Museu Pio XII), housing a collection of Palaeolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος '' lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone to ...
, Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
and Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
implements, Pre-historic
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
and Luso-Roman pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
;
* Dom Diogo de Sousa Museum ( pt, Museu D. Diogo de Sousa), its collection includes many items discovered during archaeological excavations within the municipality, extending as far back as the Palaeolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος '' lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone to ...
to the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
.
* Museum of String Instruments ( pt, Museu dos Cordofones), the collection features Portuguese instruments as far back as the Middle Ages including Cavaquinhos, Portuguese guitars, Mandolins and banjos among others.
Education
The city is the headquarters and main campus for the Universidade do Minho
The University of Minho (''Universidade do Minho'') is a public university in Portugal, divided into the following campuses:
* Largo do Paço (rectorate), in Braga
* Campus of Gualtar, in Braga
* Convento dos Congregados, in Braga
* Campus of Az ...
(Minho University), a public university
A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...
founded in 1973. A campus of Portugal's oldest private university
Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...
of Portugal, the Universidade Católica Portuguesa
The Catholic University of Portugal (Portuguese: ''Universidade Católica Portuguesa'', pronounced nivɨɾsiˈðad(ɨ) kɐˈtɔlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ, also referred to as Católica or UCP for short, is a concordat university (non-state-run univers ...
, was also established in 1967, as well as the Escola Secundária Sá de Miranda (the oldest Secondary school in Braga).
In the late 2000s, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory
International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), in Braga, Portugal, a fully international research organization in Europe in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. INL is the result of a joint decision of the Governments of Portugal ...
also opened their international research centre in the city.
The Braga Pedagogical Farm is a farm
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used ...
dealing with animal
Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...
s and agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
, welcoming extra-curricular activities from school
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
s and visitors.
Sports
Braga's football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team, Sporting Clube de Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga () (), commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Braga. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portugues ...
, was founded in 1921 and play in the top division of Portuguese football, the Liga Portugal bwin, from Braga Municipal Stadium, carved out of the Monte Castro hill that overlooks the city. Braga has had considerable success in recent years, winning the Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 seaso ...
(Portuguese Cup) for the second time in 2016 and the third in 2021 and reaching the Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
final in 2011, which they lost to fellow Portuguese side FC Porto
Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...
.
The Rampa da Falperra, a round of the European Hillclimb Championship
The FIA European Hill Climb Championship (FIA EHC) is an FIA-run motorsport competition held across Europe on closed public road courses.
Unlike circuit racing, each driver competes alone, starting from a point at the base of a mountain and reac ...
, is held every year in the outskirts of the city.
The Circuito Vasco Sameiro
The Circuito de Velocidade Vasco Sameiro (also known as Circuit of Braga) is a racing circuit located north of Braga, Portugal at Palmeira.
It was constructed in 1990http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=3039 Braga, Portugal to host ETC C ...
and adjacent the Kartódromo Internacional de Braga are located around the local airfield. The racing track held European Touring Car Cup
The FIA European Touring Car Cup was an annual touring car racing event, which had been held at various locations across Europe from 2005 to 2017. Unlike in previous years where it was a one-off event, in 2010 the series was a three round event.
...
events in 2009 and 2010, and the KIB has held rounds of the Karting World Championship.
Notable citizens
Public service
* Saint Ovidius (martyred 135 AD) third Bishop of Braga, buried in the cathedral.
* Saint Engratia
Saint Engratia ( pt, Santa Engrácia, es, Santa Engracia) is venerated as a virgin martyr and saint. Tradition states that she was martyred with eighteen companions in 303 AD. She should not be confused with the 8th-century Spanish martyr of th ...
venerated as a virgin martyr and saint, tradition is that she was martyred with 18 companions in 303AD
* Paulus Orosius
Paulus Orosius (; born 375/385 – 420 AD), less often Paul Orosius in English, was a Roman priest, historian and theologian, and a student of Augustine of Hippo. It is possible that he was born in ''Bracara Augusta'' (now Braga, Portugal), th ...
(ca.383ca.420), historian and theologue from the Braga diocese
* Hermeric
Hermeric (died 441) was the king of the Suevi from at least 419 and possibly as early as 406 until his abdication in 438.
Biography
Before 419
Nothing is known for sure about Hermeric before 419, the year in which he is first mentioned; ...
(died 441), landlord and then king of the Suebi with capital in Braga, from at least 419 and possibly as early as 406 until his abdication in 438.
* Martin of Braga
Martin of Braga (in Latin ''Martinus Bracarensis'', in Portuguese, known as ''Martinho de Dume'' 520–580 AD) was an archbishop of Bracara Augusta in Gallaecia (now Braga in Portugal), a missionary, a monastic founder, and an ecclesiastical ...
(c. 520–580), Bishop of Braga in 562–579, converted the Suebi to Catholicism.
* Henry, Count of Portugal
Henry ( Portuguese: ''Henrique'', French: ''Henri''; c. 10661112), Count of Portugal, was the first member of the Capetian House of Burgundy to rule Portugal and the father of the country's first king, Afonso Henriques.
Biographical sketch
Fa ...
(1066–1112) Count of Portugal
The County of Portugal ( pt, Condado de Portugal, Condado Portucalense, Condado de Portucale; in documents of the period the name used was Portugalia) refers to two successive medieval counties in the region around Braga and Porto, today corresp ...
1093–1112, turned Braga into his capital
*Teresa of León, Countess of Portugal
Theresa ( Portuguese: ''Teresa''; Galician-Portuguese: ''Tareja'' or ''Tareixa''; Latin: ''Tarasia'') (1080 – 11 November 1130) was Countess of Portugal, and for a time claimant to be its independent Queen. She rebelled against her half-si ...
(1080–1130) was married to Count Henry in 1094
* Antipope Gregory VIII
Gregory VIII (died 1137), born Mauritius Burdinus (''Maurice Bourdin''), was antipope from 10 March 1118 until 22 April 1121.
Biography
He was born in the Limousin, part of Occitania, France. He was educated at Cluny, at Limoges, and in Castil ...
(died 1137) born Mauritius Burdinus, the second Archbishop of Braga
The Archdiocese of Braga ( la, Archidioecesis Bracarensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is known for its use of the Rite of Braga, a use of the liturgy distinct from the Roman R ...
* D. Paio Mendes (died 1137): he was the Archbishop of Braga
The Archdiocese of Braga ( la, Archidioecesis Bracarensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is known for its use of the Rite of Braga, a use of the liturgy distinct from the Roman R ...
from 1118 to 1137
* Pope John XXI
Pope John XXI ( la, Ioannes XXI; – 20 May 1277), born Pedro Julião ( la, Petrus Iulianus), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 September 1276 to his death on 20 May 1277. Apart from Damasus I (from ...
(ca.1215–1277) born Pedro Julião, Archbishop of Braga
The Archdiocese of Braga ( la, Archidioecesis Bracarensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is known for its use of the Rite of Braga, a use of the liturgy distinct from the Roman R ...
1272–1275, elected Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
in 1276.
* Francisco Sanches
Francisco Sanches (also spelled Sánchez in contemporary sources; c. 1550 – November 16, 1623) was a skeptic, philosopher and physician of Sephardi Jewish origin, born in Tui, Spain (although he was baptized in Braga, Portugal).Elaine Limb ...
(ca.1550ca.1623) a skeptic
Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the ...
, philosopher and physician of Sephardi Jewish origin
* Miguel de Carvalho
Miguel de Carvalho, SJ also known as Michael Carvalho, (1579 – 25 August 1624) was a Roman Catholic missionary from Portugal. He was beatified in July 1867 by Pope Pius IX.Fros SJ, Henryk ''Book of names and saints'', pp. 423–437, 2007
Bi ...
(1579–1624), a Roman Catholic missionary, was burned at the stake in Japan, beatified in 1867.
* Manuel António Martins (1772–1845) governor of Cape Verde
, national_anthem = ()
, official_languages = Portuguese
, national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole
, capital = Praia
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, demonym ...
and Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea ( pt, Guiné), called the Overseas Province of Guinea from 1951 until 1972 and then State of Guinea from 1972 until 1974, was a West African colony of Portugal from 1588 until 10 September 1974, when it gained independence as Gu ...
, 1833 to 1835
* João Crisóstomo de Amorim Pessoa
João Crisóstomo de Amorim Pessoa (14 October 1810 – 22 December 1888) was a Portuguese bishop. He was Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde and archbishop of Goa and Braga.
Biography
Pessoa was born on 14 October 1810 in Cantanhede in the distr ...
(1810–1888) Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde and archbishop of Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
and Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
* Manuel Gomes da Costa
Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa , commonly known as Manuel Gomes da Costa () or just Gomes da Costa (14 January 1863 – 17 December 1929), was a Portuguese army officer and politician, the tenth president of Portugal and the second of ...
(1863–1929) an army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
and politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
, the tenth President of the Portuguese Republic and led the famous 28 May 1926 coup d'état in Braga
* Domingos Leite Pereira
Domingos Leite Pereira (; 19 September 1882 – 27 October 1956) was a Portuguese politician of the Portuguese First Republic. He had degrees in theology and literature of the University of Coimbra. He helped to improve the relationships betwee ...
(1882–1956), Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
politician of the Portuguese First Republic
The First Portuguese Republic ( pt, Primeira República Portuguesa; officially: ''República Portuguesa'', Portuguese Republic) spans a complex 16-year period in the history of Portugal, between the end of the period of constitutional monarchy ...
* Salgado Zenha
Francisco Salgado Zenha GCL (2 May 1923, Braga – 1 November 1993, Lisbon) was a Portuguese left-wing politician and lawyer.
As a student at the University of Coimbra, he was elected president of the Academic Association of Coimbra, bein ...
(1923–1993), a Portuguese left-wing politician and lawyer.
* Ricardo Rio
Ricardo Bruno Antunes Machado Rio (born 21 November 1972) is a Portuguese economist and politician, currently serving as mayor of Braga.
A member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), he became mayor in the 2013 local elections in coalition w ...
(born 1972) an economist, politician and current Mayor of Braga.
Arts & Science
* Gabriel Pereira de Castro (1571-1632) a priest, lawyer and poet.
* João Antunes (1642–1712), an important architect credited for introducing baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...
* André Soares (1720–1769) architect of several important Rococo
Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
buildings in Braga area.
* Carlos Amarante
Carlos Luís Ferreira da Cruz Amarante (Braga, 1748 - Oporto, 1815) was an important Portuguese engineer and architect.
Amarante's father was musician in the court of the Bishop of Braga. He began pursuing an ecclesiastical career, but left t ...
(1748–1815) an architect who favoured neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
* Adriano de Paiva
Adriano de Paiva (1847–1907) was a Portuguese scientist who was one of the pioneers of telectroscope. He worked at the Politechnical Academy of Porto and conducted research into selenium as a material to transmit images.
His work followed the ...
(1847–1907) a scientist and pioneer of the telectroscope
:
The telectroscope (also referred to as 'electroscope') was the first conceptual model of a television or videophone system. The term was used in the 19th century to describe science-based systems of distant seeing.
The name and its concep ...
.
* Elísio de Moura (1877–1977) a physician, professor and leading psychiatrist
* Lúcio Alberto Pinheiro dos Santos Lúcio Alberto Pinheiro dos Santos (Braga, 19 April 1889 - Rio de Janeiro, 11 November 1950) was a Portuguese philosopher and teacher, noted for coining the term and writing the first theory of rhythmanalysis, focused on its physiological dimensions ...
(1889-1950) philosopher, coined the term rhythmanalysis
''Rhythmanalysis: Space, Time and Everyday Life'' is a collection of essays by Marxism, Marxist sociology, sociologist and urbanist philosophy, philosopher Henri Lefebvre. The book outlines a method for analyzing the rhythms of urban spaces and the ...
* Luís de Almeida Braga
Luís Carlos de Lima de Almeida Braga (20 October 1890 – 27 February 1970) was a Portuguese writer and politician who has one of the leading figures within the Integralismo Lusitano movement.
Early years
Born in Braga, Almeida Braga first came ...
(1890–1970) a Portuguese writer and politician, in the Integralismo Lusitano
''Integralismo Lusitano'' (English: "Lusitanian Integralism") was a Portuguese integralist political movement founded in Coimbra in 1914 that advocated traditionalism but not conservatism. It was against parliamentarism but favoured decentraliza ...
movement.
* António Variações
António Joaquim Rodrigues Ribeiro, (3 December 1944 – 13 June 1984) was a Portuguese singer and songwriter. Despite his short-lived career due to his premature death at the age of thirty-nine, using the stage name of António Variações, ...
(1944–1984), innovative pop composer and singer
* Torcato Sepulveda (1951–2008), an influential Portuguese newspaper journalist.
* Sara Braga Simões (born 1975) an operatic soprano
Sport
* Carlos Carvalhal
Carlos Augusto Soares da Costa Faria Carvalhal (; born 4 December 1965) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a centre-back, currently manager of La Liga club RC Celta de Vigo.
As a player, he totalled 197 Primeira Liga appearances in ...
(1965) a former footballer with 259 club caps and manager of S.C. Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga () (), commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Braga. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portuguese ...
.
* Litos (born 1974) a former footballer with 433 club caps
* Henrique (born 1980) a former footballer with 451 club caps
* Pedro Pereira (born 1984) a former footballer with over 460 club caps
* Emanuel Silva (born 1985) a sprint canoeist and silver medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
* Carole Costa
Carole da Silva Costa (born 3 May 1990) is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a defender for Benfica and the Portugal women's national football team.
Born in northern Portugal, Carole Costa moved to Germany to play club football in August 20 ...
(born 1990) a footballer with 133 caps with Portugal women
* Júlio Ferreira
Júlio Alexandre Bacelar Oliveira Ferreira (born 29 April 1994) is a Portuguese taekwondo practitioner from Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and o ...
(born 1994) a taekwondo practitioner
* Diogo Dalot
José Diogo Dalot Teixeira (; born 18 March 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a full-back for club Manchester United and the Portugal national team.
Dalot is a product of the Porto youth system and made his professio ...
(born 1999) a footballer with Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd), or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The club competes in the Premier League, ...
and 6 caps for Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
International relations
Braga is twinned with:
* Bissorã
Bissorã is a town located in the Oio Region of Guinea-Bissau.
Population 11,964 (2008 est). , Guinea Bissau
* Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label=Auvergnat (dialect), Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population ...
, France
* Cluj-Napoca
; hu, kincses város)
, official_name=Cluj-Napoca
, native_name=
, image_skyline=
, subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County
, subdivision_name1 = Cluj County
, subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status
, subdivision_name2 ...
, Romania
* Cuenca, Ecuador
* Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вськ, translit=Iváno-Frankívśk ), formerly Stanyslaviv ( pl, Stanisławów ; german: Stanislau), is a city located in Western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk O ...
, Ukraine
* Poggibonsi
Poggibonsi is a town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. It is located on the river Elsa and is the main centre of the Valdelsa Valley.
History
The area around Poggibonsi was already settled in the Neolithic age, although the firs ...
, Italy
* Puteaux, France
* Ribeira Brava, Cape Verde
* Santa Fe, Argentina
* Tarrafal de São Nicolau Tarrafal may refer to several locations in Cape Verde:
* Tarrafal, Cape Verde, a town on the island of Santiago
* Tarrafal, Cape Verde (municipality), a municipality on the island of Santiago
* Tarrafal de São Nicolau, Cape Verde, a town on the ...
, Cape Verde
* Jánoshida
Jánoshida is a village in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, in the Northern Great Plain region of central Hungary.
It covers an area of and has a population of 2,394 people (2015).
History
The earliest signs are from archaeologic finds of Bronze ...
, Hungary
* Nagykovácsi
Nagykovácsi (whose name in English translates as "Great Smithy") is a small town in the Pilisvörösvári kistérség district of Hungary situated some north-west of the centre of Budapest, in a valley, at an altitude of 340 metres. It is locate ...
, Hungary
See also
*Organ Festival of Braga
The Organ Festival of Braga (in Portuguese: Festival de órgão de Braga) is a festival dedicated to the Pipe organ, held annually in Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugues ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Braga Portal
Virtual Braga
{{Authority control
Roman towns and cities in Portugal