Enjoying a visit to Bom Jesus do Monte

By Meaghan Hannon

This weekend we were  privileged to journey through a few different areas in Portugal, located on the Iberian Peninsula, where we experienced a number of historic sites as well as the city of Porto. We also spent time in Braga and Guimaraes.

In the city of Braga, Portugal, we saw many beautiful churches. Along with all these churches the main site we visited was a beautiful cathedral on the outskirts of the city called “Bom Jesus do Monte,” which roughly translates to “Good Jesus of the Mount.” This sanctuary lies on top a hill beautifully overlooking the city of Braga. The cathedral is surrounded with beautiful statues, monuments, gardens and even a very interesting grotto-like building. 

The stairs are known as “The Sacred Way,” where pilgrims walk up the zig-zagged 577 steps on their knees to repent of their sins. The stairs within the sanctuary were made with granite. Each staircase represents the five senses (hearing, smell, taste, touch and sight) complemented by a different fountain at each of the five staircases.  Nicely settled on top of a hill is a gorgeous gazebo within a grotto which was stunning to look at.

Overall our trip to Portugal was a wonderful experience on its own. Other than the “Bom Jesus do Monte” there were many great attributes we experienced.