Santuário do Sameiro

This large domed basilica crowns a hill above Braga and is one of the most important Marian sanctuaries in Portugal, second only to Fátima in the numbers of pilgrims it draws. Built from the mid-nineteenth century onward, it is reached by a grand staircase and terraces adorned with statues and fountains. From the broad esplanade the view stretches across the Minho countryside toward the mountains and the city below. Twin bronze figures of Pope Pius IX and Pope Pius XII flank the approach to the sanctuary.