Monastery of Tibães
Mosteiro de São Martinho de Tibães
The mother house of the Benedictines in Portugal, with a Baroque church of gilded wood carvings and a monumental stepped garden set among trees.
Tibães Monastery lies about 6 km northwest of central Braga. From the 17th century it was the headquarters of the Benedictines in Portugal and Brazil, and it had a deep influence on Portuguese Baroque art. The church's gilded wood altarpieces (talha dourada) were made by 18th-century masters, including André Soares, and they are among the finest in the north. The monastery has two cloisters, tile-lined corridors, and a forest estate of about 40 hectares with a stepped water channel, the Chapel of St. Benedict, and an orchard. After the religious orders were suppressed in the 19th century, the site fell into ruin. The state has since restored it and opened it to visitors. Admission is about €5, and it is closed on Mondays. A city bus or taxi takes about 15 minutes.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 (until 17:00 in winter); closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Chapel of São Frutuoso
- Estádio Municipal de Braga
- Biscainhos Palace Museum
- Arco da Porta Nova
- Roman Baths of Alto da Cividade
- Braga Municipal Market
- Braga Cathedral
- Archiepiscopal Palace of Braga