Sanctuary of the Bom Jesus do Monte
Monte do Bom Jesus , 4715-261, Braga Portugal
Located on the slopes of Mount Espinho, overlooking the city of Braga in the north of Portugal, this cultural landscape evokes
Christian Jerusalem, recreating a sacred mount crowned with a church. The sanctuary was developed over a period of more than
600 years, primarily in a Baroque style, and illustrates a European tradition of creating Sacri Monti (sacred mountains), promoted
by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in the 16th century, in reaction to the Protestant Reformation. The Bom Jesus
ensemble is centred on a Via Crucis that leads up the western slope of the mount. It includes a series of chapels that house
sculptures evoking the Passion of Christ, as well as fountains, allegorical sculptures and formal gardens. The Via Crucis
culminates at the church, which was built between 1784 and 1811. The granite buildings have whitewashed plaster façades,
framed by exposed stonework. The celebrated Stairway of the Five Senses, with its walls, steps, fountains, statues and other
ornamental elements, is the most emblematic Baroque work within the property. They are framed by lush woodland and
embraced by a picturesque park that, masterfully set on the rugged hill, highly contributes to the landscape value of the
ensemble.
Tags
Patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, French garden, English garden, Natural space, Architecture contemporaine remarquable, Jardin remarquable, Monument historique
Confraria do Bom Jesus do Monte
