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Places to See Porto e Norte Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte
Places to See Porto e Norte Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte | Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte |
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To
reach the Bom Jesus Sanctuary, you can go by foot, car or even take the
vertical tram, an impressive piece of 19th century engineering. This
was the first of its kind to be installed in Portugal in 1882 and
continues to use its water-powered system to power up the 300-metre
slope in just 3 minutes.
The church was built later (1784) by Carlos Amarante who gave it an Italian inspired neo-classical design, which integrates harmoniously the landscape of northern Portugal. The stairway leading to the top contains 17 landings adorned with symbolic fountains, allegoric statues and other Baroque style decoration along themes such as the Stations of the Cross, the Five Senses, the Virtues, Moses receiving the Commandments and, at the top, the eight biblical figures that contributed to the Condemnation of Jesus. Any visit must take in the view from the bottom of the Stairway. Looking upwards there are the ornate granite fountains on the various landings and the white, chalice-shaped outline on which the church itself "sits". Inside the roomy, sombre church attention goes to the paintings by Pedro Alexandrino (18th century). Next to the Church, there is the Museum of Confraria with its collection of religious pieces and its Library founded in 1918.  |
Contact Us:
00 351 913 591 282
or
00 351 282 417 463
(office hours)
00 351 913 591 282
or
00 351 282 417 463
(office hours)
| Capital (and largest city) |
Lisbon 38°46′N, 9°11′W |
|
| Official languages | Portuguese | |
|---|---|---|
| Recognised regional languages | Mirandese | |
| Demonym | Portuguese | |
| Government | Parliamentary republic | |
| - | President | Aníbal Cavaco Silva |
| - | Prime Minister | José Sócrates |
| Formation | June 24, 1128 | |
| - | Founding of the First County of Portugal | 868 |
| - | Battle of São Mamede | June 24, 1128 |
| - | Kingdom | 25 July 1139 |
| - | Recognized | 5 October 1143 |
| - | Republic | 5 October 1910 |
| - | Carnation Revolution | 25 April 1974 |
| EU accession | 1 January 1986 | |
| Area | ||
| - | Total | 92,345 km² (110th) 35,580 sq mi |
| - | Water (%) | 0.5 |
| Population | ||
| - | July 2007 estimate | 10,848,692 (75th) |
| - | 2001 census | 10,148,259 |
| - | Density | 114/km² (87th) 295/sq mi |
| GDP (PPP) | 2006 estimate | |
| - | Total | $229.881 billion (40th) |
| - | Per capita | $23,464 (2007) (34th) |
| HDI (2005) | ▼ 0.897 (high) (29th) | |
| Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) | |
| Time zone | WET | |
| - | Summer (DST) | WEST (UTC0) |
| Internet TLD | .pt | |
| Calling code | +351 | |