Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, Braga, Portugal


Related people
Timothy H. Crowther (was created by)
Carlos Luis Ferreira Amarante (architect)
Date
18th Century
Description
Since the 14th century, the site of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte has been a major pilgrimage destination. The current building and its landscaping (including the staircases) has an "iconographic programme stemming from both pagan and religious sources and dedicated to the story of Calvary and the Redemption." --Bottineau, Y. (1970). Living Architecture: Iberian-American Baroque (p. 16) New York: Grosset & Dunlap. The Sanctuary's prominent position atop Monte Espinho near Braga is served by an equally prominent pathway-- the Staircase of the Five senses which was constructed in 1722. In the 19th century, the addition of the Staircase of Theological Virtues extended the winding progression towards the newly reconstructed church (begun in 1784). Keywords: Portugal, Braga, ceremonial and/or religious structures, pilgrimage church, Santuario Bom Jesus do Monte, Sanctuary of the Good Jesus of the Hill, Carlos Amarante, outdoor spaces, site and landscaped elements, sculpture. Submitted by Timothy Crowther, recipient of the 2005 Whitaker Travelling Fellowship.
Style/Period
18th Century (1700 - 1799 CE)
Baroque
Material
stone and/or rock