"Good Jesus of the Mountain.”
Igreja de Bom Jesus de Monte
The Igreja de Bom Jesus de Monte is an exquisite sanctuary in Braga, Portugal, built in1922. The sanctuary is one of the most photographed sanctuaries in the world in part because of its stunning staircase and carved wall fountains. The name of this sanctuary in Portuguese means "Good Jesus of the Mountain.” The Bom Jesus de Monte is an extremely popular tourist location in Braga, and is a notable example of a pilgrimage site due to its monumental Baroque-style stairway that climbs up 381 feet or 116 meters. Under the patronage of the Archbishop of Braga during this period, Rodrigo de Moura Telles, the present day sanctuary began its construction in 1722. The original pilgrimage Igreja de Bom Jesus de Monte church was built in 1629 and dedicated to the Bom Jesus or good Jesus, with six individual chapels dedicated to the Passion of Christ. In 1722, new chapels were completed in dedication to the Via Crucis. Each new rendition of this grand sanctuary is known for new and unique granite and plaster worked wall fountains as chapels are devoted to various aspects of the faith.
The Sanctuary’s Famous Wall Fountains
The Archbishop of Braga also sponsored the construction for the next stairway segment, which was dedicated to the five senses and had a zigzag to its shape just like the original sanctuary staircase. Each of the senses (sight, smell, sound, touch and taste) is represented by one of the individual wall fountains along the length of the hall. In 1725, an architect Manuel Pinto Vilalobos was commissioned to build a Baroque-style church at the end of the long hallway. The exterior of the sanctuary is not without its fountains, as you will find ornately carved figures and wall water fountains decorating the steps of the sanctuary's great staircase. There are also four stunning Baroque wall fountains in the courtyard surrounding the chapels, each featuring a statue dedicated to one of the Evangelists. In 1781, under the archbishop Gaspar de Bragança, a third segment of staircases were built along with a completely new church. The third stairway, that was designed for the Igreja de Bom Jesus de Monte which is also patterned to follow a zigzag, features its own set of unique fountains, dedicated to Faith, Hope and Charity or the Three Theological Virtues. Many of the water wall fountains, like the sanctuary stairs, are built in a combination of granite and plaster work and surrounded by lush landscapes and topiaries.
Igreja de Bom Jesus de Monte and the Sanctuary Staircase
Next to the stunning fountains scattered throughout the courtyard, and the chapels themselves and within the sanctuary, another alluring aspect of the Igreja de Bom Jesus de Monte is the staircase, which climbs 381 feet or 116 metres, and that has 14 stations to symbolize the stations of the Cross and the various episodes that occurred before and after the crucifixion. The original intention of the staircase leading to the sanctuary was to provide a theological program of sorts to the pilgrims, contrasting the virtues of the spirit with the material world and its senses. The sanctuary at the top of the great hill served as the temple of God. The wall fountains present along the length of the stairways were intended to offer the idea of purification to those who were faithful.