Garden of Santa Barbara

The Garden of Santa Barbara is a municipal garden in the civil parish of Sé, municipality of Braga, alongside the eastern wing of the historical Archbishop's Palace of Braga.HistoryThe Garden was actually a modern elaboration of the space: in 1955, the garden was landscaped, in keeping with the Estado Novo romanticism of the period. From plaques located on the site, the design and landscaping was completed by José Cardoso da Silva (from a posthumous inscription dedicated by the municipal government of Braga).GeographyThe garden is located in the northeast corner the Archbishop's Palace, on an elevation. It consists of geometric designs carved from beds of boxwood, decorated with cedar topiaries.The northern patio of the Palace, alongside the Garden, is manicured with diverse architectural elements; specifically, the remains of cornices, statues and coat-of-arms in rock. Delimiting this space, are the broken ruins of an arcade, that pertained to the medieval palace. Located in the middle of the garden is a statue of Saint Barbara on a fountain, which represents the patron saint of the garden, and namesake.