Description of the attraction
The city of Bragança is located in the district of the same name. Bragança is the largest city in Portugal in terms of area and one of the most important cities in the Altu Tras-us-Montos region. The name of the region translates as "a country beyond the mountains".
It is believed that the city is named after the royal dynasty - Bragana, which ruled the country for about 300 years. There are many monuments in the city, most of which are located in the old part of the city, which is surrounded by fortified walls. One of these monuments is the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Its second name is Se Cathedral.
The temple was built in the 16th century by the Duke of Teodosiu. Initially, the building was intended for the monastery of the Order of the Clarissas. But already at the end of the 16th century, the building was handed over to the Jesuit monks and they founded a school in this building. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Jesuit order was banned in Portugal and expelled from the country. The building houses the main office of the diocese, which was previously located in Miranda do Douro.
Bragança Cathedral makes an amazing impression. The appearance of the cathedral is quite simple. The building looks more like an aristocratic mansion than a church. The portal of the Renaissance cathedral is made with the addition of elements of the Baroque style; the sacristy of the 17th century, or rather, its coffered ceiling and panels on the walls, displaying scenes from the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Order of the Jesuits), attracts attention. Inside the cathedral, the walls are covered with panels made of azulesos tiles.
On the Sé square, in front of the cathedral, there is a baroque crucifix, erected in 1689. Earlier, there was a pillar of shame on the site of the crucifixion.
