Portugal / Região Norte

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 The Castle of Bragança has seen a turbulent history that saw occupation during the Moorish period to the devastation and reconstruction that accompanied the Christian reconquest. The castle was brought under control of King Afonso I of Portugal (1112-1185). For defensive reasons, the village was moved to the current site. It was near the hill of Benquerença on the sidelines of Fervença river, reusing them materials in the construction of new homes and a castle for defense of the people. King Sancho I (1185-1211) endowed the village with funds to construct a wall and castle in 1187. During this time, the conflict between Sancho I and León resulted in violence and saw Leonese forces taken over the village. During the reign of King Denis (1279-1325), the village erected a walled perimeter in 1293, signifying a prosperity of the village.

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 This church is integrated in a convent founded in 1590 by order of D. Maria Teixeira. The ceiling of the vaulted nave stands out, with paintings by Manuel Caetano Fortuna.

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 The origins of the church date back to the 13th century, when it served as a parish church. The apses are probably the oldest parts still in existence. It was rebuilt in the 16th century and remodelled both in the 16th century on the orders of the Bishop and in the 17th century after a landslide. The church plays a very special role in Portuguese history, as the legendary wedding between the Portuguese king Dom Pedro (1357 - 1367) and the lady-in-waiting Inês de Castro. is said to have taken place here in 1352. Dom Pedro's father, Alfonso IV, did not like this union at all. In 1355, when Crown Prince Dom Pedro was out hunting, men entered the house where Inês lived on the king's orders and beheaded her in the presence of her children.

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 The origins of the church date back to the 13th century, when it served as a parish church. The apses are probably the oldest parts still in existence. It was rebuilt in the 16th century and remodelled both in the 16th century on the orders of the Bishop and in the 17th century after a landslide. The church plays a very special role in Portuguese history, as the legendary wedding between the Portuguese king Dom Pedro (1357 - 1367) and the lady-in-waiting Inês de Castro. is said to have taken place here in 1352. Dom Pedro's father, Alfonso IV, did not like this union at all. In 1355, when Crown Prince Dom Pedro was out hunting, men entered the house where Inês lived on the king's orders and beheaded her in the presence of her children.

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 The origins of the church date back to the 13th century, when it served as a parish church. The apses are probably the oldest parts still in existence. It was rebuilt in the 16th century and remodelled both in the 16th century on the orders of the Bishop and in the 17th century after a landslide. The church plays a very special role in Portuguese history, as the legendary wedding between the Portuguese king Dom Pedro (1357 - 1367) and the lady-in-waiting Inês de Castro. is said to have taken place here in 1352. Dom Pedro's father, Alfonso IV, did not like this union at all. In 1355, when Crown Prince Dom Pedro was out hunting, men entered the house where Inês lived on the king's orders and beheaded her in the presence of her children. Francisco und Jacinta Marto were siblings from a small hamlet near Fátima, who, reportedly witnessed three apparitions of the Angel of Peace in 1916, and several apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1917. The title Our Lady of Fátima was given to the Virgin Mary as a result, and the Sanctuary of Fátima became a major centre of world Christian pilgrimage. The two children were canonized by Pope Francis at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, in 2017, the centennial of the first Apparition of Our Lady of Fátima.

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 On the left is São Vicente, on the right the Edifício do Principal, which was built at the end of the 18th century as a military building for the main guard. In the centre is the memorial to those who died in WW1.

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 The church of São João Baptista, known as Sé Velha (old cathedral), was built in the 16th century as part of a monastery complex. It was initially the church of a Jesuit college dedicated to the name of Jesus and from the 18th century until the new Bragança Cathedral was built, it was the episcopal see of the Bragança-Miranda diocese. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the church was remodeled in the Baroque style under the Jesuits.

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 The church of São João Baptista, known as Sé Velha (old cathedral), was built in the 16th century as part of a monastery complex. It was initially the church of a Jesuit college dedicated to the name of Jesus and from the 18th century until the new Bragança Cathedral was built, it was the episcopal see of the Bragança-Miranda diocese. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the church was remodeled in the Baroque style under the Jesuits.

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 The church of São João Baptista, known as Sé Velha (old cathedral), was built in the 16th century as part of a monastery complex. It was initially the church of a Jesuit college dedicated to the name of Jesus and from the 18th century until the new Bragança Cathedral was built, it was the episcopal see of the Bragança-Miranda diocese. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the church was remodeled in the Baroque style under the Jesuits. Fatima is "everywhere"

In Roman times, the region belonged to the province of Gallaecia and was under the administration of Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). The Romans were followed by the Visigoths and Suebi, who incorporated this region into their empire and introduced wheat cultivation. The first documentary mention of the settlement that developed into today's Bragança was found in the records of the Council of Lugo in 569. Under the administration of King Wamba, the town was recorded as Bregancia in 666. From 711, the Visigoths were expelled by the Moors. The area was probably sparsely populated when the Reconquista emerged and pushed the Moors southwards. Due to its location on strategic transport routes, Bragança became increasingly important, especially after Portugal gained independence in 1139. King D. Sancho I rebuilt the badly damaged town, refortified it and granted it city rights in 1187. In 1199, D. Sancho I freed the town from the siege by Alfonso IX and established the current Portuguese place name. In the course of the revolution of 1383 and the attempt by the hereditary Castile to take over Portugal, Bragança fell to its neighbour. It has been Portuguese again since 1401 The church of São João Baptista, known as Sé Velha (old cathedral), was built in the 16th century as part of a monastery complex. It was initially the church of a Jesuit college dedicated to the name of Jesus and from the 18th century until the new Bragança Cathedral was built, it was the episcopal see of the Bragança-Miranda diocese. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the church was remodeled in the Baroque style under the Jesuits. A Lourdes grotto

This romanesque church (12th century) is the only remaining building of the former monastery. It is believed to be one of the oldest existing romanesque churches in Portugal. The monastery has played a role over centuries as a hospital for the pilgrims heading north to Santiago, and since 2004 Rates has an "albergue" again.

Two angels, the lower one with an incense holder, inside the former abbey church in Rates. Though the carving may look a bit primitive, they seem to be very friendly.

The church was built over a pre-Romanesque one dating from the 8th/9th century. In 1100 the church and the convent were bestowed by Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal, the Cluniac priorate of La Charite-sur-Loire (about 1500kms northeast). French monks moved in, helping the pilgrims heading north to Santiago. The convent gathered impetus in the 12th century with the support of Afonso I of Portugal (aka "Dom Afonso Henriques", as he was Henry of Burgundy´s son). The church São Pedro de Rates, here is the apse, is the the only remaining building of the former monastery. It is believed to be one of the oldest existing romanesque churches in Portugal. After I had hiked the "Caminho Portugues" some years ago, I returned and now (using a car) could "explore" a little bit more of Northern Portugal.

The church was built over a pre-Romanesque one dating from the 8th/9th century. In 1100 the church and the convent were bestowed by Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal, the Cluniac priorate of La Charite-sur-Loire (about 1500kms northeast). French monks moved in, helping the pilgrims heading north to Santiago. The convent gathered impetus in the 12th century with the support of Afonso I of Portugal (aka "Dom Afonso Henriques", as he was Henry of Burgundy´s son). The church São Pedro de Rates is the the only remaining building of the former monastery. It is believed to be one of the oldest existing romanesque churches in Portugal. After I had hiked the "Caminho Portugues" some years ago, I returned and now (using a car) could "explore" a little bit more of Northern Portugal.

The church was built over a pre-Romanesque one dating from the 8th/9th century. In 1100 the church and the convent were bestowed by Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal, the Cluniac priorate of La Charite-sur-Loire (about 1500kms northeast). French monks moved in, helping the pilgrims heading north to Santiago. The convent gathered impetus in the 12th century with the support of Afonso I of Portugal (aka "Dom Afonso Henriques", as he was Henry of Burgundy´s son). The church São Pedro de Rates is the the only remaining building of the former monastery. It is believed to be one of the oldest existing romanesque churches in Portugal.

The church was built over a pre-Romanesque one dating from the 8th/9th century. In 1100 the church and the convent were bestowed by Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal, the Cluniac priorate of La Charite-sur-Loire (about 1500kms northeast). French monks moved in, helping the pilgrims heading north to Santiago. The convent gathered impetus in the 12th century with the support of Afonso I of Portugal (aka "Dom Afonso Henriques", as he was Henry of Burgundy´s son). The church São Pedro de Rates is the the only remaining building of the former monastery. It is believed to be one of the oldest existing romanesque churches in Portugal. The western portal with an interesting tympanum. The two persons flanking Christ in the mandorla are standing on - creatures

The church was built over a pre-Romanesque one dating from the 8th/9th century. In 1100 the church and the convent were bestowed by Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal, the Cluniac priorate of La Charite-sur-Loire (about 1500kms northeast). French monks moved in, helping the pilgrims heading north to Santiago. The convent gathered impetus in the 12th century with the support of Afonso I of Portugal (aka "Dom Afonso Henriques", as he was Henry of Burgundy´s son). The church São Pedro de Rates is the the only remaining building of the former monastery. It is believed to be one of the oldest existing romanesque churches in Portugal. The western portal. The two persons flanking Christ in the mandorla are standing on - creatures. Note the giant snakes on the lintel.

The church was built over a pre-Romanesque one dating from the 8th/9th century. In 1100 the church and the convent were bestowed by Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal, the Cluniac priorate of La Charite-sur-Loire (about 1500kms northeast). French monks moved in, helping the pilgrims heading north to Santiago. The convent gathered impetus in the 12th century with the support of Afonso I of Portugal (aka "Dom Afonso Henriques", as he was Henry of Burgundy´s son). The church São Pedro de Rates is the the only remaining building of the former monastery. It is believed to be one of the oldest existing romanesque churches in Portugal. The western portal. On the right capital are two birds, drinking from a chalice, an icon going back to Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Sassanian sources. In Christianity it developed into an Eucharistic symbol associated with Baptism and Resurrection.