SÃO BENTO DA PORTA ABERTA BASILICA
41° 41' 26" N 8° 12' 13" W
The Basilica of St. Benedict of the Open Door (Portuguese: Basilica São Bento da Porta Aberta) is a Roman Catholic church in Rio Caldo in northern Portugal. The church, which belongs to the Archdiocese of Braga, is dedicated to Benedict of Nursia and was given the title of minor basilica in 2015. It is part of the sanctuary of the same name, which has been protected as a national monument since 2011 and from which there is a magnificent view of the Cávado Valley with the Caniçada dam.
Basilica
The church's location on the southern slope of the Rio Caldo valley goes back to a chapel, the construction of which was ordered by Aleixo de Menezes in 1614 as Archbishop of Braga to care for the local believers. The chapel was then consecrated to St. Benedict in 1615. The name São Bento da Porta Aberta comes from the fact that the door is always open for travelers.
The current church was only built at the end of the 19th century and is not very significant architecturally. Construction of the church began in 1880 at the old pilgrimage site and was completed in 1895. The bell tower, which clings to the facade, looks like the pinnacle of the sanctuary from Caniçada in the valley. Of the church's furnishings, the azulejo panels in the chancel depicting the life of St. Benedict and the gold-plated altarpiece are particularly noteworthy. The image of St. Benedict is venerated, before which pilgrims make their offerings and vows.
On March 21, 2015, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the sanctuary, Pope Francis elevated the church to the rank of a minor basilica at the request of the Archbishop of Braga, Jorge Ortiga.
Crypt
Next to the basilica, the slightly lower but significantly larger church was built in 1994 to accommodate many pilgrims. This church, known as the Crypt, was consecrated in 1998 and completed in 2004. The ten azulejos depicting episodes from the life of St. Benedict are significant.
https://www.sbento.t/en/santuario-2/
https://www.sbento.pt/en/hp-2/
