BASÍLICA DOS CONGREGADOS · BRAGA
History of the Congregados
From the Oratorians to today’s community: more than three centuries of faith and memory in Braga.
MEMORY · ARCHITECTURE · COMMUNITY
A story spanning centuries
From the beginnings of the Oratory in Rome to the Basilica of today, explore 16 milestones. Adapted from the timeline in The Design of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Aparecida, with checked dates and additional historical events.
01 · From Rome to Braga
1564
The roots of the Oratory
In Rome, Saint Philip Neri’s first priest disciples begin living in community at San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, a precursor to the future Congregation.
1575
The Congregation is recognised
On 15 July, Pope Gregory XIII canonically establishes the Congregation of the Oratory and entrusts it with Santa Maria in Vallicella in Rome.
1668
The Oratory in Lisbon
Father Bartolomeu do Quental founds the Congregation of the Oratory in Lisbon, establishing its presence in Portugal.
1686–1687
The Oratorians arrive in Braga
Fathers José do Vale and Francisco Rodrigues arrive in 1686 at the initiative of Canon João de Meira Carrilho. In 1687, the community settles in Campo de Sant’Ana, now Avenida Central.
02 · A church takes shape
1703
Construction of the church begins
Work on the church begins under master builder Manuel Fernandes da Silva.
1717
The unfinished church is blessed
With the chancel and part of the nave completed, the church is blessed and opens for worship. Construction will continue in stages.
1750
A record in the Mappa das Ruas
The Mappa das Ruas de Braga depicts the unfinished Congregados complex before its monumental façade was built.
1761
The Brotherhood is founded
The Brotherhood of Our Lady of Sorrows is founded, beginning a history closely connected with worship and the care of this church.
03 · Change and continuity
1761–1766
The façade and the Aparecida Chapel
The façade attributed to André Soares is built, but the towers remain unfinished. The book’s timeline also places the construction of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Aparecida in this period.
1834
The Oratorians leave Braga
Following the dissolution of religious orders in Portugal, the Oratorians leave Braga and their property passes to the State.
1845
The church entrusted to the Brotherhood
A government order of 1 September entrusts the church and its contents to the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Sorrows and Saint Anne.
1944
The aircraft accident
On 14 July, a light aircraft strikes the east tower before crashing nearby. The accident did not bring down the tower; the west tower had not yet been completed.
04 · Conservation and recognition
1958
Nogueira da Silva and the towers
On 5 August, work to complete the towers begins, promoted by the Brotherhood’s future president, António Augusto Nogueira da Silva. His determination was decisive in finishing the façade.
1964–1966
Restoration and completion of a campaign
The façade sculptures are installed in 1964, alongside work on the church and its adjoining buildings. In 1966, the Brotherhood marks the church’s reopening after the works.
1975
The title of minor basilica
On 15 March, the Holy See grants the church the title and dignity of a minor basilica.
1993
Heritage of Public Interest
The convent, college and church complex is classified as a Property of Public Interest under Decree No. 45/93 of 30 November.
THE BOOK BEHIND THIS JOURNEY
The Design of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Aparecida
By Ângela Lopes, Gisela Gomes, João Cabeleira and M. Elfrida Ralha. Published by the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora das Dores e Santa Ana dos Congregados, March 2021.
Available to buy in Portuguese and English. Discover the publication or contact the Basilica office for information and purchases.
Sources and notes on the dates
Principal source: the timeline in the book identified above. This digital version is a revised and expanded adaptation, not a literal reproduction of the printed page. The events of 1575, 1834, 1845, 1958, 1975 and 1993 supplement the book’s selection.
Chronological clarifications: Lisbon, 1668; arrival in Braga, 1686; settlement in Campo de Sant’Ana, 1687. The communal life begun in Rome in 1564 is distinguished from canonical establishment in 1575. The book’s 1964/65 entry is placed within the campaign begun in 1958 and the works recorded up to 1966; sources differ on the precise year in which each tower’s fabric was completed.
Dates checked against: Confederation of the Oratory; University of Évora archive — Lisbon Oratory; Archdiocese of Braga — The Oratorians; Silva Araújo — History of the Congregados; Património Cultural — monument record.
For the accident of 14 July 1944: reports in Diário do Minho and Correio do Minho, 15 July 1944, cited in Rui Maia’s study published in O MINHO. The Brotherhood’s foundation date is also corroborated by the account of Alexandra Pereira de Castro’s research.
The beginnings
The history of the Congregados is linked to the Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri. The Oratorians arrived in Braga in 1686 at the initiative of Canon João de Meira Carrilho, later settling in Campo de Sant’Ana, now Avenida Central.
Construction of the church began in 1703 under Manuel Fernandes da Silva. The church was blessed in 1717 while still unfinished. Its façade, attributed to André Soares, was built in the eighteenth century.
A history of continuity and care
When the religious orders were dissolved in Portugal in 1834, the Oratorians left Braga. In 1845, the church was entrusted to the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora das Dores e Santa Ana.
The generosity of members and benefactors sustained the care of the church. In the twentieth century, support from António Augusto Nogueira da Silva was decisive in completing the towers and carrying out important work on the building.
PEOPLE IN OUR HISTORY · TWENTIETH CENTURY
Commander Nogueira da Silva
António Augusto Nogueira da Silva (1901–1976) led the Brotherhood for 18 years. His contribution was decisive in completing the towers, restoring the church and strengthening the Congregados as a centre of pastoral life.
A basilica and part of the city’s heritage
The church was granted the title of minor basilica on 15 March 1975. The convent and church complex was classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1993.
This heritage lives on through the celebration of faith, the life of the community and the commitment to preserving and sharing what has been entrusted to us.
