Bom Jesus Staircase

The baroque stairway at Bom Jesus do Monte, on the wooded hill of Tenoes above Braga in northern Portugal, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most photographically structured religious landscapes in the country. The subject is a zigzag of whitewashed granite flights climbing more than a hundred metres through chestnut and oak woodland to the sanctuary church at the summit, punctuated by allegorical fountains, obelisks and statues. Two frames dominate. Shooting upward from the base of the Escadaria dos Cinco Sentidos gives the full symmetrical zigzag receding into the trees with the church closing the top of the composition. Shooting downward from the terrace in front of the church compresses the same flights into a graphic pattern of white balustrades against green, and works best with a moderate telephoto. The stairway faces broadly east, so early morning light falls directly along it and separates the white granite from the shaded woodland behind, while afternoons leave the lower flights in shadow. Between eight and ten in the morning the light is soft and the pilgrim traffic light. Spring brings wildflowers and camellias to the terraces and the surrounding park, and autumn turns the woodland gold, both of which give a foreground the bare winter version lacks. Overcast conditions suit the fountains and statuary, where full sun blows the white surfaces out. The stairway and the church are free to enter and the grounds keep long daylight hours. The alternative to the climb is the water-counterbalance funicular that has run since 1882, the oldest of its kind still operating in the world, which carries visitors from the foot of the hill to the summit for a small single fare of a few euros; it is also a photographic subject in its own right. Tripods are permitted on the terraces and steps, but the flights narrow at the landings and blocking them during pilgrim traffic is discouraged; Holy Week is exceptionally busy, with some pilgrims ascending on their knees. Drone use over the sanctuary is not permitted without authorisation. Restrooms and cafes are at the summit near the church, and parking is available at both ends of the funicular line.