Santuário do Senhor dos Caminhos, Catholic pilgrimage church in Romãs, Portugal
Santuário do Senhor dos Caminhos is a Catholic pilgrimage church in Romãs with a large chapel crowned by a distinctive bell tower. The structure is defined by fifteen tall granite columns, each around seven meters high, that give the building its recognizable form.
The sanctuary was built around 1909 and replaced an earlier church dedicated to Nossa Senhora dos Verdes, a protector of crops and livestock. That earlier structure had long served as a pilgrimage destination for local farmers seeking blessings for their fields and animals.
The sanctuary draws thousands of pilgrims each year during the weeks following Pentecost for religious processions and communal prayers. This annual gathering has shaped the spiritual life of the surrounding communities for generations.
The sanctuary is easily reached via National Road 229, which connects the towns of Sátão and Aguiar da Beira, about one kilometer from Rãs. Visitors should wear comfortable walking shoes since accessing the granite columns and chapel requires walking over uneven ground in places.
The site features fifteen unfinished granite columns that were intended for a shelter to house pilgrims, but the project was never completed. The supporting wooden beams for this structure were stolen before construction could be finished, leaving the columns standing as a reminder of interrupted plans.
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