Archbishop's Palace of Braga

Archiepiscopal Palace of Braga (Paço Arquiepiscopal de Braga)
Episcopal Palace of Braga
Episcopal Palace (Paços Episcopal)
A view of the archiepiscopal palace of Braga as seen from the garden of Santa Bárbara
Official name: Paço Arquiepiscopal de Braga/Biblioteca Pública e Arquivo Distrital de Braga/Reitoria da Universidade do Minho
Named for: Episcopal district of Braga
Country	Portugal
Region	Norte
Subregion	Cávado
District	Braga
Municipality	Braga
Location	Braga (São José de São Lázaro e São João do Souto)
- coordinates	41°33′3″N 8°25′34.2″W / 41.55083°N 8.426167°W / 41.55083; -8.426167Coordinates: 41°33′3″N 8°25′34.2″W / 41.55083°N 8.426167°W / 41.55083; -8.426167
Architects	Fernandes de Sá, Joaquim Areal, Gil Varques, Fernão Martins, João Gonçalves
Styles	Portuguese Northern Baroque, Gothic
Materials	Granite, Azulejo, Wood, Wrought Iron, Ceramic tile
Owner	Portuguese Republic
For public	Public
Easiest access	Lugar do Paço, Rua do Souto, Largo D. João Peculiar, Rua da Misericórdia, Praça do Município, Rua Eça de Queirós
Management	Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico
Operator	Diocese of Braga
Status	Property of Public Interest Imóvel de Interesse Público
Listing	Decree 47/508; DG, Série 1, 20 (24 January 1967)

The Archiepiscopal Palace of Braga (Portuguese: Paço Arquiepiscopal de Braga), is a Portuguese episcopal palace in civil parish of Braga (São José de São Lázaro e São João do Souto), in the municipality of the same name, in the northern district of Braga.

The Bishopric of Bracara was founded in 388 by Paternus, who became the first bishop of Braga. Officially, the archbishopric of Braga was founded in 1071, turning D. Pedro its first archbishop. Between 1096 and 1112, Count D. Henrique and Countess D. Teresa were the masters of Braga, leading in 1112 to a letter donating the city to the archbishops, instituting an ecclesiastical fiefdom, that would last to the 18th century. D. Maurício Burdino became the first ecclesiastical master of Braga. On 27 May 1128, Archbishop D. Pai Mendes received a confirmation letter to expand church lands, along with the privilege to mint coin, in recompense for his support of D. Afonso Henriques' revolt against his mother, the Countess D. Teresa.

In 1327, D. Afonso IV invaded the jurisdiction of then-archbishop D. Gonçalo Pereira, grandfather of D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, nominating public notaries to the crown for Braga. The archbishop excommunicated and expelled these notaries from the city. This antagonism resulting from these acts never diminished, and in 1341, when regal authorities entered the new city, the archbishop excommunicated them as well. As a consequence, the Corregedor Afonso Domingues took the castle and municipal hall, which were much later returned to the archbishop by D. Afonso IV. It was following this antagonism that the construction of the primitive archiepiscopal palace was begun, by Archbishop D. Gonçalo Pereira in 1336.

In 1361, D. João de Cardaillac, began to use the title of Arcebispo Primaz das Hespanhas (Archbishop Primate of the Hispanias). In 1402, the archbishop, D. Martinho Afonso de Miranda, ceded jurisdiction of the city to the Crown, in exchange for land rents and other concessions. At that time regulations obliged farmers and craftsmen to support the repair of the palace. Between 1422 and 1436, Archbishop D. Fernando da Guerra, great-grandson of D. Pedro I and D. Inês de Castro, ordered the reconstruction and expansion of the archiepiscopal structure, with Gil Vasques (carpenter), Fernão Martins (master of public works) and João Gonçalves (stonemason) steering the build. By 1439, the tower was concluded.