Two new UNESCO’s World Heritage sites in Portugal: Royal Building of Mafra and Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has inscribed two new cultural sites in Portugal:

The Royal Building of Mafra: Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (tapada) and the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga.  As of today Portugal has 17 tangible cultural heritage sites.

- Royal Building of Mafra – Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (tapada)

Located 30 km northwest of Lisbon, the site was conceived by King João V in 1711 as a tangible representation of his conception of the monarchy and the State. This imposing quadrangular building houses the king’s and queen's palaces, the royal chapel, shaped like a Roman baroque basilica, a Franciscan monastery and a library containing 36,000 volumes. The complex is completed by the Cerco garden, with its geometric layout, and the royal hunting park (Tapada). The Royal Mafra Building is one of the most remarkable works undertaken by King João V, which illustrates the power and reach of the Portuguese Empire. João V adopted Roman and Italian baroque architectural and artistic models and commissioned works of art that make Mafra an exceptional example of Italian Baroque.

-Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, in Braga

The site, a cultural landscape located on the slopes of Mount Espinho, overlooking the city of Braga in the north of Portugal, evokes Christian Jerusalem, recreating a sacred mount crowned with a church. The sanctuary was developed over a period of more than 600 years, primarily in a Baroque style, and illustrates a European tradition of creating Sacri Monti (sacred mountains), promoted by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in the 16th century, in reaction to the Protestant Reformation. The Bom Jesus ensemble is centred on a Via Crucis that leads up the western slope of the mount. It includes a series of chapels that house sculptures evoking the Passion of Christ, as well as fountains, allegorical sculptures and formal gardens. The Via Crucis culminates at the church, which was built between 1784 and 1811. The granite buildings have whitewashed plaster façades, framed by exposed stonework. The celebrated Stairway of the Five Senses, with its walls, steps, fountains, statues and other ornamental elements, is the most emblematic Baroque work within the property.

Find more information about it at:
- http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/
- https://en.unesco.org/news/six-cultural-sites-added-unescos-world-heritage-list

Source: UNESCO

Experience the Holy Week 2018 in the ancient city of Braga, in the region Porto and the North of Portugal

The Holy Week in Braga is without a doubt the most illustrious and most famous of all in Portugal. 

The city is decorated with motifs related to the occasion and the passos, street-side altars, are filled with flowers and lights, complementing the sumptuousness of the churches.

In Porto and the North of Portugal, in accordance with tradition, the Easter celebration of the Resurrection marks the end of Lent and a return to traditional gastronomy - such as oven-roasted kid, sponge cake, almonds and port wine.

To download the Program and the Brochure click here and here.




To ensure you don't miss any of the events, here is the full agenda for Holy Week in Braga:

• March 24 - Transfer of the Statue of “Senhor dos Passos” (Our Lord of the Stations of the Cross)
• March 25 - Blessing and Procession of the Palms
• March 28 - Procession of the Virgin of the “donkey”
• March 29 - Ecce Homo procession
• March 30 - Procession of the Burial of the Lord
• March 31 - Easter vigil and Procession of the Resurrection
• April 1 - Easter Sunday Solemn Mass and Easter visit
  
  

More information about the Holy Week in Braga here:
- http://www.semanasantabraga.com
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Semana-Santa-de-Braga
- https://www.visitportugal.com/Holy Week Festivals in Braga
- https://www.visitportugal.com/visitBraga
- https://www.cm-braga.pt/SemanaSanta2018

Portugal with 3 more cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network

After in 2015, Óbidos (literary town category) and Idanha-a-Nova (music town category) were designated as UNESCO Creative Cities, now in 2017, more three Portuguese cities achieved this designation:

- Amarante  – Music category

- Barcelos – Crafts and Folk Art category

- Braga – Media Arts category

Find more information at:
- https://www.cm-braga.pt/
-https://www.visitportugal.com/Visit to Braga
- http://www.cm-barcelos.pt/idade-criativa-da-unesco^
- https://www.visitportugal.com/Barcelos
- https://www.facebook.com/cityofmusicamarante/
- https://www.visitportugal.com/Amarante

Source: UNESCO

Braga: Holy Week Festivals 2017

Experience Holy Week in the ancient city of Braga, in the region Porto and the North. 

The city is decorated with motifs related to the occasion and the passos, street-side altars, are filled with flowers and lights, complementing the sumptuousness of the churches.

In Porto and the North of Portugal, in accordance with tradition, the Easter celebration of the Resurrection marks the end of Lent and a return to traditional gastronomy - such as oven-roasted kid, sponge cake, almonds and port wine.

To ensure you don't miss any of the events, here is the full agenda for Holy Week in Braga:

• April      8 - Transfer of the Statue of “Senhor dos Passos” (Our Lord of the Stations of the Cross)
• April       9 - Procession of the Stations of the Cross
• April     12 - Procession of the Virgin of the “donkey”
• April     13 - Ecce Homo procession
• April     14 - Procession of the Burial of the Lord
• April     15 - Easter vigil and Procession of the Resurrection
• April     16 - Easter Sunday Solemn Mass and Easter visit

To download the Brochure click here.

More information about the Holy Week in Braga here:
- http://www.semanasantabraga.com
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Semana-Santa-de-Braga
- https://www.visitportugal.com/Holy Week Festivals in Braga

Braga: Holy Week Festivals 2015

Experience Holy Week in the ancient city of Braga, in the region Porto e Norte. 

The city is decorated with motifs related to the occasion and the passos, street-side altars, are filled with flowers and lights, complementing the sumptuousness of the churches.

In Porto and the North of Portugal, in accordance with tradition, the Easter celebration of the Resurrection marks the end of Lent and a return to traditional gastronomy - such as oven-roasted kid, sponge cake, almonds and port wine.

To ensure you don't miss any of the events, here is the full agenda for Holy Week in Braga:

• March 28 - Transfer of the Statue of “Senhor dos Passos” (Our Lord of the Stations of the Cross)
• March 29- Procession of the Stations of the Cross
• April      1 - Procession of the Virgin of the “donkey”
• April      2 - Ecce Homo procession
• April      3 - Procession of the Burial of the Lord
• April      4 - Easter vigil and Procession of the Resurrection
• April       5- Easter Sunday Solemn Mass and Easter visit

To download the Brochure click here.

More information about the Holy Week in Braga here:
- http://www.semanasantabraga.com
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Semana-Santa-de-Braga

Easter mini-holidays in Portugal

©Turismo do Alentejo

Make the most of the Easter mini-holidays and discover Portugal with the whole family together!

Portugal has everything you need to make this a great trip: there’s a wide variety of tours available, entertainment to suit all ages, a mild climate and a country where you can feel entirely safe. 

Discover how we celebrate Easter in Portugal by visiting Porto and the North for the Holy Week festivities in the city of Braga, or travel south and appreciate the beauty of the Festivity of the Sovereign Mother and Festivity of the Flowered Torches in the Algarve. 

If you prefer something more active, travel to the Alentejo region and discover the various itineraries and routes on offer. Alternatively, visit Lisbon’s Parque das Nações that offers fun for the whole family. 

Another relaxing Easter break option is a trip to the Slate Villages, or one of the magnificent “Quintas da Madeira” country estates or a rural tourism house in the Azores… all offering the finesse and tradition of Portuguese hospitality

We urge you to accept our invitation and let yourself be seduced by the Spring in Portugal. 

Easter in Portugal

Tejo Internacional, Campo de Rosmaninho ©Turismo do Centro de Portugal

With sun-drenched days reminiscent of Summer and mild temperatures, the Easter mini-holidays are an excellent time to visit Portugal.

Stroll along the beach with temperatures that are sometimes enough for sunbathing and a swim in the sea, especially in the Algarve and Madeira; or immerse yourself in Nature, which renews itself in Spring in an explosion of colour and aromas waiting to be discovered in the Natural Parks of the North and Centre, in the Alentejo or on the Azores islands.

And why not take the opportunity for a bit of shopping, looking for the new trends and collections in the quality shops of Lisbon and Porto? Or to enjoy the gastronomic delights such as almonds covered in sugar or chocolate and the delicious folares (traditional sweet or savoury Easter bread). And for Easter Sunday lunch, you must follow the example of most Portuguese homes and try the roast kid.

But Easter is a time of deep Catholic significance all over Portugal. In Braga, holy week is celebrated with heavy religious solemnity and its highlights are Maundy Thursday (The Last Supper and Jesus washes the disciples’ feet), Good Friday (crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ), Holy Saturday (ascension to heaven) and Easter Sunday itself (Resurrection). In Óbidos, the last moments of the life of Jesus Christ on the Sacred Road are recreated, and in Castelo de Vide Jewish traditions bring a rich tone to the celebrations.

In other parts of the country, there are other reasons to celebrate. In Loulé, it’s the Feast of the Sovereign Mother, which attracts many visitors; and in Constância, the colourful boat processions at the Festival of Our Lady of the Good Voyage. And these are just a few suggestions. You’ll be sure to discover many more! Why not schedule your trip now?

More information at http://www.visitportugal.com/Easter

Easter in Portugal

Experience Easter in Portugal, celebrating spring with family and friends.

Come to Braga at Easter and enjoy the festive atmosphere during the Semana Santa (Holy Week). Attend the Ecce Homo Procession on Good Friday, led by the Farricocos (barefoot men in tunics with hoods), one of the most peculiar parts of the Portuguese religious tradition.

If you’re in the Castelo de Vide region in the south, you’ll experience a very different Easter celebration, one with Jewish origins. In the morning of Easter Eve, the region’s shepherds invade the town centre to have their flocks of sheep blessed.At night, during the Vigília Pascal (Paschal Vigil), people ask for forgiveness in secret, reminiscent of the Jewish Yom Kippur. At the end of the mass, all those present bring cowbells that ring the Cortejo da Aleluia (Procession of Alleluia) through the town.

Easter is the perfect time to try specialities of Portuguese cuisine. After the fasting of Lent, the best delicacies are eaten, such as roast kid, lamb stew, meatballs, buns, chocolate and almond eggs. Just a few of the delicious dishes you can try.

Folar da Pascoa Recipe:
- 2Kg of flour
- 500g of sugar
- 40g of baker’s yeast
- 2 eggs
- 2 lemons
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- Salt
- Warm Water
- 2 Hard boiled eggs

Empty the baker’s yeast in a little bit of lukewarm water, let it develop a bit.Combine eggs and lemon zest and mix well. Add the flour with the sugar, cinnamon and a bit of salt. Slowly add it to egg mix.Knead very well with mild warm water until the dough comes together and off your hands.

Let it rise and then form the folars into large, round balls, (about 6-8in. around) flattened a bit (make sure to reserve some dough for the crosses).Put one or two hard-boiled eggs into the center of each folar, and cross two strips of dough over the eggs and one wrapped around the cross.

At this point you can let it rise once more for an even fluffier bread. Brush egg yolk over the folars and bake it on medium heat about 200C or 350F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Note: Recipe by Andrea Smith for Catavino



Enjoy:)

Braga: Holy Week Festivals

Experience Holy Week in the ancient city of Braga, in the region Porto e Norte.

The city is decorated with motifs related to the occasion and the passos, street-side altars, are filled with flowers and lights, complementing the sumptuousness of the churches.

In Porto and the North of Portugal, in accordance with tradition, the Easter celebration of the Resurrection marks the end of Lent and a return to traditional gastronomy - such as oven-roasted kid, sponge cake, almonds and port wine.

To ensure you don't miss any of the events, here is the full agenda for Holy Week in Braga:

• March 23 - Transfer of the Statue of “Senhor dos Passos” (Our Lord of the Stations of the Cross)
• March 24 - Procession of the Stations of the Cross
• March 27 - Procession of the Virgin of the “donkey”
• March 28 - Ecce Homo procession
• March  29 - Procession of the Burial of the Lord
• March  30 - Easter vigil and Procession of the Resurrection
• March  31 - Easter Sunday Solemn Mass and Easter visit

To download the Brochure click here.

More information about the Holy Week in Braga here:
- http://www.semanasantabraga.com
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Semana-Santa-de-Braga