Braga

Braga, a city and municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the district of Braga, the oldest archdiocese and one of the major cities of the country.

With a population of 155,000 in the urban area, Braga is one of the most important urban centers of Portugal after the much larger Lisbon Metropolitan Area and Porto Metropolitan Area conurbations. Including the suburban parishes, the municipality has a total of 62 parishes and 170,858 inhabitants. Braga is also the center of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Minho with a population of 798,137 one of the fastest growing urban areas in the European Union. Under the Roman Empire, as Bracara Augusta, it was capital of the province Gallaecia. The present Mayor is Francisco Mesquita Machado, elected from the Socialist Party.

The city is also known as the "Portuguese Rome" for its concentration of religious architecture. Braga is located in the North of Portugal, the more developed territory. This town is the commercial and business center of the region.

In Portugal, Braga's population is considered the most conservative, and by some the most pious, by others the most fanatic. The city is one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal.