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BRAGA

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Originally appearing in Volume V04, Page 376 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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BRAGA , a See also:

city of See also:northern See also:Portugal, formerly included in the See also:province of Entre Minho e See also:Douro, situated on the rights-See also:bank of the small See also:river Deste near its source, and at the See also:head of a railway from See also:Oporto. Pop. (1900) 24,202. Braga, which ranks after See also:Lisbon and Oporto as the third city of the See also:kingdom, is the See also:capital of an administrative See also:district, and an archiepiscopal see. Its See also:cathedral, founded in the 12th See also:century, was rebuilt during the 16th century in the blend of Moorish and florid See also:Gothic styles known as Manoellian. It contains several tombs of considerable See also:historical See also:interest, some See also:fine woodwork carved in the 15th century, and a collection of See also:ancient See also:vestments, See also:plate and other See also:objects of See also:art. Among the other churches See also:Santa Cruz is See also:note-worthy for its handsome See also:facade, which See also:dates from 1642. There are several convents, an archiepiscopal See also:palace, a library, containing many rare books and See also:manuscripts, an See also:orphan See also:asylum, and a large See also:hospital; also the ruins of a See also:theatre, a See also:temple and an See also:aqueduct of See also:Roman workmanship, and a See also:great variety of See also:minor antiquities of different ages. The See also:principal manufactures are firearms, See also:jewelry, See also:cutlery, See also:cloth and See also:felt hats. Large See also:cattle fairs are held in See also:June and See also:September, for cattle-breeding and See also:dairy-farming are among the foremost See also:local See also:industries. On a See also:hill about 3 M. E. by S. stands the celebrated See also:sanctuary of See also:Born Jesus, or Born Jesus do See also:Monte, visited at Whitsuntide by many thousands of pilgrims, who do public See also:penance as they ascend to the See also:shrine; and about 1 m. beyond it is See also:Mount Sameiro (2535 ft.), crowned by a See also:colossal statue of the Virgin See also:Mary, and commanding a magnificent view of the mountainous See also:country which culminates in the Serra do Gerez, on the See also:north-See also:east.

Braga is the Roman Bracara See also:

Augusta, capital of the Callaici Bracarii, or Bracarenses, a tribe who occupied what is now See also:Galicia and northern Portugal. See also:Early in the 5th century it was taken by the Suevi; but about 485 it passed into the hands of the Visigothic conquerors of See also:Spain, whose renunciation of the Arian and Priscillianist heresies, at two synods held here in the 6th century, marks the origin of its ecclesiastical greatness. The archbishops of Braga retain the See also:title of See also:primate of Portugal, and See also:long claimed supremacy over the See also:Spanish See also:church also; but their authority was never accepted throughout Spain. From the See also:Moors, who captured Braga early in the 8th century, the city was retaken in 1040 by See also:Ferdinand I., See also:king of See also:Castile and See also:Leon; and from 1093 to 1147 it was the See also:residence of the Portuguese See also:court. The administrative district of Braga coincides with the central See also:part of the province of Entre Minho e Douro (q.v.). Pop. (1900) 357,159. See also:Area, 1040 sq. m.

End of Article: BRAGA

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