Braga Cathedral

The original 12th century-building was built in the Burgundian Romanesque style of the monastery church of Cluny. It influenced many other churches and monasteries in Portugal in that period. In later times the cathedral was greatly modified, so that today it is a mix of Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, manueline and baroque styles. Particularly important were the addition of new chapels and the entrance gallery in gothic style, the new manueline main chapel, and the various additions in baroque times like the towers, chapels and much inner decoration. 

The Cathedral of Braga ( Sé de Braga) is a Roman Catholic church in the northern city of Braga, Portugal. Due to its long history and artistic significance, it is also one of the most important buildings in the country.

The Diocese of Braga dates from the 3rd century AD, being one of the oldest in the peninsula and the center for the Christianisation of Gallaecia (Northwestern Iberia).

Saint Peter of Rates or of Braga, is traditionally considered to be the first bishop of Braga between the years 45 and 60. Tradition says he was a Jew that had recently died when Saint James the Great was in the area. The Apostle knowing him to be a man of intelligence and good will had him resurrected from the grave and ordained him to preach the glory of Christ. The same tradition holds that Peter of Rates was martyred while attempting to make converts to the Christian faith in northern Portugal.  Bishop Martin of Dumio, a great religious figure of the time, converted the population to Catholicism around 550. Around 1071 the city was back in Christian hands, and the work was started to build a cathedral. The Cathedral of Braga was the first Portuguese cathedral, erected several decades before the founding of the country when it was part of the Kingdom of León. It was concecrated and dedicated to the Virgin Mary by Bishop Pedro in a solemn session on August 28, 1089. 

The cathedral was the most important religious site in Iberia (before the founding of Santiago of Compostela and the reconquest of Toledo from Muslim hands) was an extremely powerful institution at the time and enjoyed a great degree of influence in the papal court.