Archbishop of Braga inaugurated the Museo Espaço do Coro Alto and Torre Sineira, in celebration of the 1st anniversary of the inscription of Bom Jesus on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the passage of the first year of the registration of Bom Jesus on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Archbishop of Braga challenged the Confraria do Bom Jesus and the Braga and Portuguese society to organize cultural events in the sanctuary.

Since there is not much more to be done in terms of physical constructions, the challenge now, pointed out D. Jorge Ortiga, is to ensure in this religious and tourist resort a cultural variety that attracts and enhances even more this architectural and natural heritage.

In addition to concerts and exhibitions, the Archbishop of Braga liked that Bom Jesus was also the stage for congresses at national and even international level “to be able to reflect and think”, that is, a resort focused on “thinking”.

«We have hotels, we have spaces that provide conditions for holding congresses», he said, challenging economists, accountants, businessmen, politicians, health professionals, teachers, among others, to welcome Bom Jesus as a place to «make more humane, more just and progress-promoting society ”.

The prelate acknowledges that the sanctuary has been “properly restored and everything has been duly used”, but the exploration of this aspect of the congresses “is yet to be done”.

The Confraria opened to the public yesterday a museum space in the Choir Alto, which gathers a set of bells, vestments and liturgical objects, and one of the bell towers of the basilica, which has been totally renovated and from which you get a magnificent view over Braga and its surroundings.

The inauguration also counted on the Mayor of Braga, Ricardo Rio, who appealed to Infrastructures of Portugal (IP) to assume the responsibility of improving access to the sanctuary of Bom Jesus, stressing that this work does not fall directly on the City Council or the Archdiocese or the Confraria do Bom Jesus.

Stressing that people from Braga feel «disgusted» to see the gateway to Bom Jesus in «poor maintenance and cleaning conditions», the mayor wants IP to contribute to the enhancement of the Bom Jesus resort by improving this access road.