Sanctuary of Santa Luzia

A sanctuary with spectacular views of Viana do Castelo and its surroundings

The Diocesan Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or Santa Luzia Hill Sanctuary, is one of the obligatory stops for those visiting the city of Viana do Castelo, capital of the district of the same name in the far north of the country. The sanctuary is located at the top of Santa Luzia hill, in the parish of Santa Maria Maior, in the city, and offers a breathtaking view of the city, the Atlantic Ocean and the River Lima.

Description and History

The ruins of the old town of Santa Luzia, or citânia de Santa Luzia, as well as the Hotel de Santa Luzia, surround the sanctuary and complete a set of buildings all worthy of a visit, whether for tourism or religious reasons. After all, Santa Luzia is the patron saint of sight, so many turn to this shrine for help with sight problems.

It is, however, a relatively modern shrine compared to the other century-old shrines scattered around the country. Its construction began in 1904, on the initiative of the Confraternity of Santa Luzia, the entity that oversees the monument, which was completed more than 50 years later, in 1959. This was due to the establishment of the Republic in 1910 and the tumultuous years that followed.

However, before this temple, there was already a small medieval chapel dedicated to this saint. The story goes that at the end of the 19th century, the cavalry captain Luís de Andrade e Sousa, who later became the first president of the Santa Luzia brotherhood, went to this small chapel to ask for help for an eye problem he was suffering from. When his sight was restored, he created the Brotherhood of Santa Luzia in 1884, taking the abandoned chapel as his "headquarters" and linking it to the town by a new road.

Practical information

Viana do Castelo is relatively easy to get to: the railway station has a direct link to Porto, and the A27 and A28 motorways make it easy to get there by car. Getting to the Sanctuary, on the other hand, is more complicated, precisely because it is on top of the same hill. However, there is an easier way to get there: the Santa Luzia lift, also known as the Santa Luzia funicular.

Opening hours of the Santa Luzia funicular

The lift operates at the following times: January, February, November and December: closed on Mondays. Open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 12pm and from 1pm to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.March, April, May and October: Open Monday to Friday from 10am to 12pm and from 1pm to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm.June, July, August and September: Open Monday to Sunday from 9am to 8pm 

Funicular prices

- One way ticket: 2 €.

- Return ticket: €3

Price to go up to the roof

- To go up to the roof: 0,80 €.

Viana do castelo

But a visit to the Sanctuary of Santa Luzia requires a visit to the town of Viana do Castelo, where you can enjoy one of the Berlin balls from the Manuel Natário pastry shop, where the Brazilian poet Jorge Amado, a citizen of merit of Viana do Castelo since 1981, used to enjoy this delicacy which he later took back to Brazil. Not forgetting a visit to the hospital ship Gil Eannes, which once supported the Portuguese cod fishing fleet that operated on the banks of Newfoundland and Greenland, and which today serves as a museum. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)