Cathedral of Braga
Located in the historical center of the city of Braga, it is considered one of the most important temples of the Portuguese Romanesque. It began to be built at the end of the 11th century and rivaled in power the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
In this cathedral you can find the tombs of Dom Henrique de Borgonha and his wife, Dom Teresa de Leão, the counties of the County Portucalense, parents of King Dom Afonso Henriques.
Its structure has undergone changes over the years since 1070 - by the time when it began to be built under the guidance of Bishop Pedro - and now has five chapels, two cloisters, a galilee, an apsidiole, an apse and the sacristy. This combination of constructions results in a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles. You can also visit the Treasure Museum and discover some pieces of art that are linked to the history of the church.
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Initially, the Braga’s Cathedral plant was large, comprising five naves, but it was reduced in the 12th century, leaving the final design with a Latin cross plan of only three naves. Still, the building retained its constructive harmony and monumentality.
From the initial Romanesque style the Cathedral retains the Sun Gate, the walking plant, the main portico and the apse of the cloister of Santo Amaro. In the 15th century, the Gothic style was imposed on the construction of the temple entrance galilee.
At the Cathedral's Treasury-Museum you can also discover some pieces linked to the history of this space.
The collections of the Braga Cathedral Treasury-Museum together show more than 15 centuries of the history of art and the life of the Church in Braga.
It holds a valuable collection consisting of the collections of Goldsmithing, Sculpture, Painting, Textile, Furniture, Ceramics, as well as a whole set of objects linked to Catholic worship.
The Permanent Exposure, “Roots of Eternity: Jesus Christ –A Church” ("Raízes da Eternidade: Jesus Cristo - Uma Igreja"), is consecrated to sacred art, allows, through its different nuclei, to revisit the life of Jesus Christ and the history of the Church in Braga. This is told by reference to some archbishops from the 5th century to the 20th century. The narration is complemented with the nuclei dedicated to the jeweler and jewelery.
Openig Hours and Visits
From October to March, the Cathedral is open from 8am to 6:30 pm.
From April to September it closes only at 7pm.
The schedulues of visits to the complex are from 09:30am to 12:30pm, and from 2:3opm to 5:30pm (in the summer closes at 6:30pm).
The visitor can choose from 3 visitable circuits.
Tour 1: Treasure - Cathedral's Museum
Tour 2: Chapel and High Choir
Tour 3: Cathedral
How to Get to Braga's Cathedral
If you are still planning your visit, click here to find out how to get to Braga.
Most monuments and points of interest are located in the historic city center and the best way to get to know them is on foot. This way you will get to know a significant part of the city without resorting to transport.
If you are already in Braga, you should have as a reference the Arch of the New Door which faces the famous Cathedral. To get here, you can take several routes.
From the bus station, you will have to go about 900m towards the Old Cathedral. From the train station, it is only 10min (750m) on foot.
Follow Andrade Corvo Street and soon ahead you will pass the Arch of the New Door dataed from 1512, entering the old part of the city. Following one of the alleys, you will soon find the famous Braga's Cathedral.
Address: Catedral de Braga, Rua D. Paio Mendes, 4700-424 Braga;
GPS Coordinates: N 41.54999° W 8.4269°