Discovering Portugal 🇵🇹 | Guimaraês And Braga | Cinematic Drone 4K

We start by visiting Guimaraês Castle, Recognized by many as the castle par excellence linked to the origins of Portugal, it is a surprising structure in many ways. Its origins are singularly obscure. It is true that we are facing a regional structure, the result of the initiative of the emblematic Countess of Porto, D. Mumadona Dias.

In second place and a few meters from the castle is the Paço dos Duques de Bragança.

The construction of the palace of the Dukes of Bragança, inspired by the French stately residences, began at the beginning of the 15th century and is due to D. Afonso de Barcelos, first Duke of Bragança and natural son of D. João, Mestre de Avis, future king D. João I.

As the Bragança residence was later moved to the Vila Viçosa Palace, in Alentejo, the building deteriorated over the centuries until it was transformed into a military barracks in 1807.

In 1937 restoration works began and on June 24, 1959, exactly after 831 years had passed since the battle of S. Mamede, the palace resurfaced with all its Gothic grandeur of Norman inspiration. In the north wing of the ground floor there is a small contemporary art museum with pieces that the painter José de Guimarães (creator of Portugal's tourism symbol) donated to the city where he was born. Leaving the city behind we head to Santuario da Penha. This Sanctuary is an important pilgrimage center in the north of Portugal, and is located about 7 km from the city center, on the top of the Penha Mountain, from where there are stunning views. spectacular views of the city and the forest.

If you take the Cable Car you have to walk for about 5 minutes along a path from the stop where it drops you off to the base of the Sanctuary. It is located on a huge esplanade with fountains on the pavement, where the typical photographers from the beginning of the century usually stand with a wooden horse.

The Sanctuary was built in the mid-17th century and is dedicated to Our Lady of Penha. The most notable thing about the façade is the bell tower and the entrance staircase. Inside, it has a rectangular floor plan and a single nave; It does not have large altarpieces, only the main altar with the image of the Virgin, and large leaded stained glass windows on the side walls. Our next destinations are near the city of Braga, firstly the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora de Samieiro. Erected on the top of the mountain with the same name, at 566 meters above sea level, the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora de Sameiro is one of the most visited places of Marian worship in Portugal and offers a privileged view over the city of Braga. Every year it attracts countless devotees, especially during the pilgrimages on the first Sunday in June and the third in August.

On December 8, 2004, Pope John Paul II awarded the sanctuary the Golden Rose, a distinction granted by the pontiffs to personalities, sanctuaries, churches or cities in recognition of important services provided to the Church or society. From there we travel a few km to reach the Sanctuary of Bom Jesús, which can be reached on foot, by car or by funicular, a notable work of engineering from the 16th century. XIX. It was the first to be installed in Portugal, in 1882, still working with a water system to overcome a slope of 300 meters in 3 minutes.

The Church materialized later (1784), according to the project of Carlos Amarante, who opted for the Italian-inspired neoclassical style.

The staircase that leads to the top is made up of 17 landings decorated with symbolic fountains, allegorical statues and other baroque decoration dedicated to various themes: the Sacred Way, the Five Senses, the Virtues, the Terreiro de Moisés and, at the top, the eight biblical figures who participated in the Condemnation of Jesus. Don't miss the perspective at the bottom of the Stairs. Looking upwards, the fountains worked in granite on the various landings stand out from the white, forming a chalice, on which the church itself is located. We finish the route in the Falperra mountain range, where we can find the Church of Santa Maria Madalena, built by order of Archbishop D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles. It is a harmonious monument in baroque style, preceded by a wide staircase, in accordance with the typology common to the closest sanctuaries.