Nazaré, Portugal

The origin of the Image

The image venerated in Nazareth is a small, simple wooden sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary breastfeeding the Baby Jesus, known as the Virgin of Milk. Tradition attributes it with a remote origin: it is said to have been carved by Saint Joseph and painted by Saint Luke.

In the early centuries of Christianity, it remained in the Holy Land until it was taken to Palestine and then to North Africa by the monk Cyriacus during times of iconoclastic persecution. It then passed through the hands of Saint Jerome and Saint Augustine before arriving at the monastery of Cauliniana, near Mérida.

With the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711, the image was brought to Lusitania by D. Rodrigo, the last Visigoth king, and by the monk Frei Romano. Hidden in a cave on the promontory of Nazaré, it remained hidden for centuries until it was rediscovered in the time of D. Fuas.

The Legend and Miracle of D. Fuas Roupinho

On the morning of 14 September 1182, during the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, D. Fuas Roupinho, mayor of Porto de Mós, was hunting a doe shrouded in thick fog near the Nazaré cliff. As he was about to fall into the abyss, he invoked the Virgin Mary, whose image was venerated in that region. At that moment, his horse miraculously stopped at the edge of the precipice, saving his life.

As a gesture of gratitude, D. Fuas had a small chapel built over the cave where the image was found. To this day, next to the old chapel, there remains a mark engraved in the rock that tradition attributes to the horse's hoof, a lasting testimony to the miracle.

From Chapel to the Sanctuary

The small chapel built by D. Fuas gave rise to a place of worship that grew over the centuries. During the reign of D. Fernando I, in the 14th century, the first larger temple was built, which is the core of the current sanctuary. In the 17th century, renovations and extensions gave it the Baroque layout and bell towers that characterise it today. Inside, the highlight is the altarpiece of the high altar, where the image of Our Lady of Nazaré remains, the centre of devotion for generations.

Centre of Devotion and Miracles

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré has become one of the most important centres of Marian devotion in Portugal, attracting pilgrims from different regions and even from abroad. The Virgin is especially invoked by seafarers, whose lives have always been linked to risk and shipwrecks.

In times of danger, the fishermen's wives would climb up to the promontory or pray on the beach, asking for her protection. Countless accounts tell of blessings received and lives saved through the intercession of Our Lady of Nazaré, reinforcing a bond of faith passed down from generation to generation.