PORTUGAL TRAVELS

Finding Religion in Braga

They don’t call it the Rome of Portugal for nothing

Bom Jesus in Braga Portugal — All photos are by the author Darren Weir

I certainly don’t consider myself a religious person. I was raised Catholic but that’s where it ended. I do, however, consider myself a spiritual person.

So it all makes me wonder what really drives me to visit so many churches, cathedrals, temples, mosques, and synagogues when I’m traveling. I rarely enter a church when I’m home, except for weddings, funerals, and maybe a few photos. But when I’m on the road, point me in the direction of the nearest church. I’m sure my love of architecture, design, and art has something to do with it.

Braga Cathedral ornamentation — Darren Weir

I knew what to expect in Jerusalem and Rome but there was one place in Portugal, that I had never heard of, that is one of the most devoted Catholic cities I have visited. No, it’s not Fatima. It’s Braga.

I saw a photo online of a remarkable church on a mountain in Braga that I decided I had to visit. It turns out Braga is the third largest city in Portugal, (Who knew?) and is known among Catholics as a devotional place. Its nickname is the Rome of Portugal.