Monument to D. Diogo de Sousa

The Evocative Monument to Dom Diogo de Sousa, entitled "Porta Aberta", was inaugurated on June 19, 2021 and erected by the Municipality of Braga in Campo da Vinha, in honor of this unique figure, as part of the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of his prelature.

Dom Diogo de Sousa was Archbishop and Lord of Braga for 27 years (1505-1532) and is recognized as one of the most important protagonists in the city's history, to the point of being considered its "new founder". He stood out for his intense pastoral and cultural activity, his civic humanism and his urban vision, which led him to transform Braga, making it more modern, open and cosmopolitan. His work makes him an essential figure in the history of the Church and the religious, socio-political, educational and artistic ideas of his time. He died on June 19, 1532 and is buried in the Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy in Braga Cathedral.

The monument was designed by Azo Arquitectos, following a public competition for ideas promoted by the municipality in 2020. With dimensions of 7 meters by 2 meters, it consists of a metal structure covered in solid brass sheeting, representing, in a stylized way, a section of medieval wall crossed by an open door - a symbol of the transforming vision of the archbishop who rejuvenated the city and opened it up to the world.

The work has two inscriptions engraved on its sides. One of them reads:
"D. Diogo de Sousa. ARCHBISHOP PRIMATE OF BRAGA 1505-1532
RENOVATOR OF THE CHURCH AND URBAN PLANNER, PATRON OF CULTURE AND THE ARTS"

The other:
"OPENED BRAGA TO TIME AND THE WORLD"

Below, in handwriting, is a sentence taken from a letter sent by D. Diogo de Sousa to King João III, dated March 1528:
"for making a town out of a village at the cost of my work and farm",
followed by his signature.

The monument rests on a granite pedestal, on which there is a plaque made of the same material as the piece.