Stairs in Bom Jesus, Sacred stairway in Braga, Portugal.
The Stairs in Bom Jesus are a wide granite stairway in Braga, in northwestern Portugal, climbing a wooded hillside up to the church of Bom Jesus do Monte. The climb is divided into three main sections, with chapels and decorated fountains placed at regular points along the steps.
The complex was created in the 1720s when an archbishop of Braga decided to turn a modest hilltop sanctuary into a major pilgrimage destination. More chapels and decorative features were added over the following decades, gradually giving the site the form it has today.
Small chapels line the path and show scenes from the New Testament, giving walkers moments to pause at set points along the climb. The decorated fountains built into the stairway carry figures representing human senses and virtues, giving the route a symbolic character that goes beyond a simple walk.
Visitors who walk up should wear shoes with good grip since the granite steps can be slippery when wet. Those who prefer to skip the climb can use a funicular that runs alongside the stairway.
Although the stairway is widely visited, many people do not notice that each section of the climb is dedicated to a different virtue and has its own set of sculptures and fountains. This division was planned from the start and is not an accidental result of the different building phases.
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