Basilicas in Portugal

I blogged about the following basilicas on August 9, 2020.

The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary the Great in Lisbon.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary in Braga.
The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption in Evora.

Estrela Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Lisbon, Lisbon

Has been considered a minor basilica since it was constructed.

The late Baroque and Neoclassical church was constructed between 1779 and 1790 under the orders of Queen Maria the First due to a vow she had made to God. The church, thought to be the first dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, has an interior made with grey, pink, and yellow marble. The church has a nativity scene with more than 500 figures made of cork and terra cotta.

The first picture is from Flickr and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Anthony, Mafra, Lisbon

Has been considered a minor basilica since its construction.

The Basilica was built as part of a royal palace and a Franciscan convent. The Baroque basilica was built in the early 1700s. It has 58 large statues made of Carrara marble and carved in Italy, several paintings, and six pipe organs.

The first picture is from a local source and the others are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Martyrs, Lisbon, Lisbon

Has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The church was built initially in 1147 after Lisbon was taken back from the Moors. This small church housed an image of Our Lady brought by English Crusaders. The church’s dedication is to honor all the soldiers who died defending the Christian faith. This initial church was replaced by a larger Baroque church which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755. The current Baroque and Neoclassical church was completed in 1784. The church has an 18th Century nativity scene with 126 carved figures.

The first two pictures are from local sources and the last two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Peter, Guimaraes, Braga

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XIV in 1751.

The Neoclassical church was built between 1737 and 1884. It was desecrated by Napoleon’s troops and used as a stable.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Fatima, Santarem

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1954.

Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Fatima, Santarem

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

Both basilicas are part of a complex of buildings on the site of Our Lady’s appearance to three children in 1917. Fatima is a major pilgrimage site.

The Neo-Baroque Basilica of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was built between 1928 and 1954 and has a bell tower that is over 200 feet in height. The tower is has a bronze crown and is topped with an illuminated cross.

The first picture is from Dreamstime and the rest are from Wikipedia.

By the 1970s, it was apparent that the Basilica of Our Lady could not handle the large number of pilgrims coming to Fatima. So the larger Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity was constructed in a modern style between 2004 and 2007.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady, Sameiro, Braga

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1964.

Pilgrims have come to this mountaintop location since 1863 to honor Our Blessed Mother. A small chapel opened in 1873 and construction of the current church began in 1890. It was completed in 1941.

The first picture is from a local source and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Holy Christ, Outeiro, Braganca

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2014.

A statue of Christ is said to have sweated blood in 1698. This occurred in a small chapel and the current Baroque church began construction later that year. It opened in 1713 and was completed in 1739.

The first two pictures are from local sources and the third picture is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Benedict, Rio Caldo, Braga

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2015.

A small chapel was built here in 1615. The current Neo-Classical and Neo-Baroque church was built between 1880 and 1895. Two and a half million pilgrims come here annually.

The first picture is from a local source, the second from Pinterest, and the last two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Good Jesus on the Mount, Braga, Braga

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2015.

A cross was erected here at the top of Mount Espinho in the 14th Century. Pilgrims began to come and a series of chapels were built. The current neoclassical church was built between 1784 and 1811. The Basilica can be accessed by a funicular or by climbing several hundred stairs.