The Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Abadia is built on the mountainside, surrounded by vast vegetation, with the river flowing through the mountains and silence reigning throughout the space. The cross from the end of the 18th century, located in the center of the church’s large courtyard, indicates our arrival. On both sides of the square in front of the church, there are two buildings: the Casa das Ofertas dos Romeiros and the Barracks where, in times past, pilgrims spent the night. Today, it has been transformed into the Museum of Sacred Art of the Brotherhood of Nossa Senhora da Abadia. In the background, the Sanctuary stands out, considered by many to be the oldest Marian sanctuary in the Iberian Peninsula.
It was built in the first quarter of the 18th century, replacing a small medieval chapel built there in the 12th century, after the apparition of Nossa Senhora at the site of Abadia. The Sanctuary was integrated into the Monastery of Santa Maria de Bouro, built at the end of the 12th century by Benedictine monks who had occupied Monte de S. Miguel since the 9th century. A few years later, it began to be governed by the order of São Bernardo, remaining Cistercian until its extinction in 1834.
The main façade of the church is preceded by two granite bell towers with clock cartouches. In the center, a depressed arch with a coat of arms at the base, and at the top, a niche with the image of Nossa Senhora da Abadia.
Inside, the numerous altars in the three side naves stand out, separated by round arches which, together with the main altar, impress with their grandeur and the beauty of their gilded carving. Also noteworthy is the 18th century organ, hand-carved, with the particularity of having a figurehead whose mouth moves simultaneously with the sound.
On the main altar, it is possible to climb up to the secular image of Nossa Senhora da Abadia with the Child in her arms, which is venerated by thousands of pilgrims who come there, mainly on the last Sunday of May and on August 15th. This sanctuary was classified as being of public interest in 2016.