Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro


The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro or Sanctuary of Sameiro is a sanctuary and Marian shrine located in Espinho, in the surroundings of the city of Braga, Portugal.

About

The Shrine of Our Lady of Sameiro is one of the places most visited Marian cult in Portugal, attracting many devotees every year during pilgrimages from 1st Sunday of June and the last Sunday of August.
Its construction was initiated in XIX century, by Father Martinho da Silva, in neoclassical style. Artistically not have much interest except the silver tabernacle that we can see on the main altar and the image of the patron saint, held in Rome by the sculptor Eugénio Maccagnani and brought to the sanctuary in 1880.
But his visit is justified by the fact that we have here one of the most spacious panoramic Region, as the Shrine of Our Lady of Sameiro is 566 meters.
Construction was begun on 14 July 1863 on the domed church of Nossa Senhora do Sameiro. The founder of the shrine was the Vicar of Braga, Padre Antonio Martinho Pereira da Silva. The sanctuary is the largest Marian devotional shrine in Portugal, second only to the Sanctuary of Fátima.
Pope John Paul II visited this Marian shrine on May 15, 1982.