Portugal (Minho Cities) 2018

Christian legend has it that Longinus was a blind Roman centurion who thrust the spear into Christ's side at the crucifixion. Some of Jesus's blood fell upon his eyes and he was healed.

The Bom Jesus funicular, which offers a much easier way to access the sanctuary, was built in 1882 by Niklaus Riggenbach and is the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula. Uniquely, it works by a water counterbalancing system, which loading water into the car at the top of the hill, weighs it down so it descends to the bottom, at the same time drawing the lighter, drained car up the hill, where the process starts afresh. (hitchhikershandbook.com)

The present Sanctuary started being built in 1722, under the patronage of the Archbishop of Braga, Rodrigo de Moura Telles. His coat of arms is seen over the gateway, in the beginning of the stairway. Under his direction the first stairway row, with chapels dedicated to the Via Crucis, were completed. Each chapel is decorated with terra cotta sculptures depicting the Passion of Christ. He also sponsored the next segment of stairways, which has a zigzag shape and is dedicated to the Five Senses. Each sense (Sight, Smell, Hearing, Touch, Taste) is represented by a different fountain. At the end of this stairway, a Baroque church was built around 1725 by architect Manuel Pinto Vilalobos. (Wikipedia)

Calvary with life-size figures.

Looking down on the city of Braga

Bacalhau is the Portuguese word for cod and—in a culinary context—dried and salted cod.