Rua Dom Paio Mendes, in Braga
The monument to the Archbishops of Braga is located in Rossio da Sé, and portrays the tribute paid by the city to the archbishops for the important role they played in the History of Braga from the founding of the nationality to the present day.
The current history of the monument dates back to 1989, when the project was designed by sculptor José Pacheco and architect Ramalhete Barbosa.
The evocative monument to the archbishops is composed: in the East wing by a bronze sculpture interrupted by the intersection of a six-meter-high iron archiepiscopal cross, in the South part it displays the 17 coats of arms of the archpriests who are part of the current archdiocese of Braga.
The monument must be interpreted by observing it from left to right because the sculpture follows the chronological order that the figures represent. The first figure, on the left, illustrates Archbishop D. Paio Mendes together with an army, who is blessed by a dove that symbolizes the Holy Spirit.
The crosier and sword next to the Alfonsine flag are symbols of the preponderance of the Braga church in the emergence of the kingdom of Portugal, just to the right is a document reproduced. At the top, there is a building with five chapels that suggest the reconstruction that this archbishop ordered to be carried out at the head of the Cathedral.
The Keep takes on particular prominence as an allegory of the castle and city wall that for centuries served as the city's defense structure. On the side we have the facade of the Cathedral represented in the background and, in front, the Holy Week of Braga is allegorically presented.
Here the most iconic figures of this ancient religious tradition of the city stand out: the farricocos with the rattles and the fires.
In this panel, the sanctuary of Bom Jesus appears sublimely represented: the bust and open arms of Jesus himself replace the triangular pediment of the Basilica and the stairs are allegorically represented by the configuration of the canopy that houses a monstrance.
In the center there is a protruding chalice, which we can see spectacularly if we look at the monument from the bottom up from an intermediate position on the staircase.
Next door, dividing the Fonte do Largo de S. Tiago and the Fonte dos Castelos stands the archiepiscopal cross, the figure of the archbishop on the right corresponds to D. Eurico Dias Nogueira, who was in office in 1995, when the sculptor signed this interesting work.
In the corner of the panel we have the allegorical image of Braga: where you see figures like Jesus or the archbishops who are shown with facial protrusions and all the others are anonymous.
The current history of the monument dates back to 1989, when the project was designed by sculptor José Pacheco and architect Ramalhete Barbosa.
The evocative monument to the archbishops is composed: in the East wing by a bronze sculpture interrupted by the intersection of a six-meter-high iron archiepiscopal cross, in the South part it displays the 17 coats of arms of the archpriests who are part of the current archdiocese of Braga.
The monument must be interpreted by observing it from left to right because the sculpture follows the chronological order that the figures represent. The first figure, on the left, illustrates Archbishop D. Paio Mendes together with an army, who is blessed by a dove that symbolizes the Holy Spirit.
The crosier and sword next to the Alfonsine flag are symbols of the preponderance of the Braga church in the emergence of the kingdom of Portugal, just to the right is a document reproduced. At the top, there is a building with five chapels that suggest the reconstruction that this archbishop ordered to be carried out at the head of the Cathedral.
The Keep takes on particular prominence as an allegory of the castle and city wall that for centuries served as the city's defense structure. On the side we have the facade of the Cathedral represented in the background and, in front, the Holy Week of Braga is allegorically presented.
Here the most iconic figures of this ancient religious tradition of the city stand out: the farricocos with the rattles and the fires.
In this panel, the sanctuary of Bom Jesus appears sublimely represented: the bust and open arms of Jesus himself replace the triangular pediment of the Basilica and the stairs are allegorically represented by the configuration of the canopy that houses a monstrance.
In the center there is a protruding chalice, which we can see spectacularly if we look at the monument from the bottom up from an intermediate position on the staircase.
Next door, dividing the Fonte do Largo de S. Tiago and the Fonte dos Castelos stands the archiepiscopal cross, the figure of the archbishop on the right corresponds to D. Eurico Dias Nogueira, who was in office in 1995, when the sculptor signed this interesting work.
In the corner of the panel we have the allegorical image of Braga: where you see figures like Jesus or the archbishops who are shown with facial protrusions and all the others are anonymous.
