Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
35
Domus Vinum
A3
36
Estúdio 22
B3
(see 23)
Entertainment
C2
C3
Sights & Activities
CHURCH
(Rua Dom Paio Mendes; 9am-6pm winter, 8am-7pm summer)
Braga's extraordinary cathedral,
the oldest in Portugal, was begun when the archdiocese was restored in 1070 and com-
pleted in the following century. It's a rambling complex made up of differing styles, and
architecture buffs could spend half a day happily distinguishing the Romanesque bones
from Manueline musculature and baroque frippery.
The original Romanesque style is the most interesting and survives in the cathedral's
overall shape, the southern entrance and the marvellous west portal, which is carved with
scenes from the medieval legend of Reynard the Fox (now sheltered inside a Gothic
porch). The most appealing external features are the filigree Manueline towers and roof -
an early work by João de Castilho, who went on to build Lisbon's Mosteiro dos Jerónim-
os.
You can enter the cathedral through the west portal or via a courtyard and cloister that's
lined with Gothic chapels on the north side. The church itself features a fine Manueline
carved altarpiece, a tall chapel with
azulejos
(hand-painted tiles) telling the story of
Braga's first bishop, and fantastic twin baroque organs held up by formidable satyrs and
mermen, which are played at mass every Sunday at 11.30am.
Connected to the church is the
treasury
(adult/child €3/2; 9am-12.30pm & 2-6.30pm summer,
9am-12.30pm & 2-5.30pm),
housing a goldmine of ecclesiastical booty, including the lovely
Nossa Senhora do Leite of the Virgin suckling Christ, attributed to 16th- century French