First presented to the public in 2017, the “Archbishops of Braga” stamp issue is now on its 3rd group, having gone through 12 (out of a total of 18) Archbishops and Lords of the Primate Archdiocese of Braga, which the Archdiocesan Commission for Patrimonial Assets (as part of the IHAC - Institute of History and Christian Arts) is paying tribute to, in partnership with the CTT - Correios de Portugal. The philatelic project, a cultural initiative of the aforementioned commission, originated in a synthesis of the Episcopal Fasti of the Archdiocese of Braga, which is currently in development.
In 2020, following the same concept as previous years, we continue to honour prelates from di erent centuries, thus travelling through the history of the Archdiocese and city of Braga. We now present Rodrigo da Cunha (1627-1636), author of the indispensable Ecclesiastical History of Archbishops of Braga [...], the rst such work printed and published by the Archbishopric; Friar Caetano Brandão (1790-1805) – friend of the poor –, who invested a great deal in educating, helping and caring for the most disadvantaged in society; and Francisco Maria da Silva (1964-1977), a contemporary, with his cultural concern for the clergy and commitment to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro, alongside Manuel Vieira de Matos, (contemplated in 2019, in the 2nd group of the issue, with an aerial view of the shrine).
With the stamps and brochure, we continue the expressive philatelic block, this time featuring an aerial view of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria Madalena do Monte – from the south of the so-called “Tourist Triangle” of Braga, which we prefer to call the Sacred-Tourist Triangle of Braga– whose precincts are secular, with reference to the o ces of Diogo de Sousa and Rodrigo de Moura Teles (honoured in previous stamp issues). This issue, however, which recognises the Sanctuary of Falperra – declared a national monument by Decree no. 1/2017 of 2 January (published in the Diário da República, series no. 1, under the scope of culture) – elevates this unique treasure of patrimonial and cultural heritage to creative mastery. The document explains that “the temple, with an unusual heptagonal plan, is one of the most emblematic of the late-baroque and rococo periods in our country. Its construction began at the end of the 17th century, as part of a campaign involving André Soares, recognised as one of the principal architects of European rocaille art, who was responsible for the recon guration of the Renaissance church that Archbishop of Braga Diogo de Sousa, a notable patron of arts and letters, ordered to be built in the early 16th century on top of a primitive medieval chapel. Particularly noteworthy is the extraordinary façade at the top of the staircase, a mixture of architecture and sculpture, where the granite work reveals the opulence and decorative exuberance that characterise the city of Braga, marking the de nitive introduction of the new style of architecture of the region.” Architect André Soares Ribeiro (1720-1769), a native of Braga and a talented artist of the Minho, made a signi cant contribution to its national recognition and classi cation. The release of this souvenir sheet (under the scope of the 3rd group of this issue) is part of the centenary commemorations of the artist, which began in 2019, marking 250 years since his death, and will end this year on the occasion of 300 years since his birth.
António Gerardo Monteiro Esteves
Architect and Director
of the Archdiocesan Commission
for Property and Heritage
