Bom Jesus do monte

     Bom Jesus do Monte is a famous Portuguese sanctuary, outside the city of Braga. The translation of its Portuguese name is Good Jesus of the Mount.  
     This sanctuary is not only a very popular tourist attraction, but a very important pilgrimage site with the staircase that climbs 116 meters.

Bom Jesus was built at the top of a hill and has a famous 575 step staircase that goes from the bottom of the hill to the top. Some pilgrims do it on their knees. The top 200 steps are in a zigzag formation. There are eight flights of stairs. At each platform is a fountain. The bottom five fountains represent the senses (sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste). For example, for smell the fountain would come out of a sculpture's nose. The top three represented Hope, Charity, and Faith, known collectively as the Three Theological Virtues.

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