The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Santarém, Portugal

Santarém is home to the famous Eucharistic Miracle of 1247, one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in Portugal.

On a day in the mid-thirteenth century, a woman tormented by her husband's infidelity made a desperate choice that would transform Santarém into one of Christianity's most revered Eucharistic pilgrimage sites. Seeking help from a sorceress who demanded a consecrated Host in exchange for a love potion, she removed the Sacred Particle from her mouth after receiving Communion at the Church of Saint Stephen, wrapped it in her veil, and hurried toward the witch's house. Before she had gone far, blood began to stream from the cloth so profusely that passersby thought she had injured her hand. Terrified, she fled home and hid the bleeding Host in a chest. That night, brilliant light burst from the wooden trunk, revealing angels in adoration around the miraculous Host. Husband and wife fell to their knees and remained in prayer until dawn. The parish priest, informed of the prodigy at first light, carried the Sacred Host in solemn procession back to the Church of Saint Stephen, where it was placed in a wax reliquary. Nearly a century later, in 1340, when a priest opened the tabernacle, he found the wax shattered into pieces and the Host miraculously enclosed within a crystal vessel that had appeared of its own accord. This small ampule was placed in a silver-gilt monstrance where it remains today, displayed in an eighteenth-century Eucharistic throne above the main altar. Scientific examination in 1997 confirmed the relic contains human flesh and blood of the rare AB+ blood type—the same found on the Shroud of Turin and other documented Eucharistic miracles. Santarém's position on a limestone plateau overlooking the fertile Tagus River valley made it a strategic stronghold for Moors until the Portuguese King Afonso Henriques captured it in 1147. Today the medieval streets of the upper town lead pilgrims through one of Portugal's finest collections of Gothic architecture to the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Miracle, classified as a National Monument since 1917. Located just forty-five minutes from Lisbon and a short distance from Fátima, Santarém offers pilgrims a profound encounter with the Real Presence that draws thousands each year to venerate this extraordinary sign of Christ's true presence in the Eucharist.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The original Church of Saint Stephen stood on this site since at least the twelfth century, when the parish was already well established in what was then the highest quarter of the medieval city. After the Eucharistic miracle occurred—dated by various chroniclers to either 1247 or February 16, 1266, according to a document commissioned by King Afonso IV in 1346—the church became a center of intense devotion and pilgrimage. The medieval Gothic church suffered severe damage in the devastating earthquake of 1531, requiring extensive reconstruction during the sixteenth century that transformed the building into a Renaissance space of elegant simplicity. Four arcades divide the interior, and medallions featuring high-relief figures along with classical grotesques carved on the columns reflect the artistic spirit of the era. In the early eighteenth century, a Baroque campaign added the gilded retables and choir that visitors admire today. The overall effect creates a sacred space that has drawn pilgrims and royalty alike across the centuries. Queen Saint Elizabeth of Portugal made pilgrimage here in 1295 and again in 1322, the latter journey undertaken during her mission to reconcile her husband King Denis with their son Afonso IV. According to tradition, she ordered a procession of prayers in which she accompanied the Holy Miracle barefoot, with a rope around her neck and covered in ashes, imploring divine mercy. Saint Francis Xavier, the great apostle to the Indies, visited the sanctuary before departing on his momentous missionary journey to Asia in 1541. Over the centuries, numerous popes—including Pius IV, Saint Pius V, Pius VI, and Gregory XIV—have granted plenary indulgences to pilgrims who venerate this relic. Canonical investigations in 1340 and 1612 affirmed the authenticity of the Eucharistic miracle. The sacred relics have left Santarém only once in their history: during the upheaval of 1810, they were secretly transported to the Church of Paço in Lisbon for safekeeping, returning quietly to Santarém on December 2, 1811. Following an extensive restoration, Bishop António Francisco Marques solemnly reopened the sanctuary on December 7, 1996. Today, pilgrims may request to view the Holy Miracle up close, observing the blood that remarkably remains in liquid form more than seven centuries after the miracle occurred.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Santarém

Santarém's pilgrimage sites are concentrated within the atmospheric historic center perched above the Tagus plain. The medieval street pattern remains largely intact, and visitors walking from the Chapel of the Miracle to the main sanctuary pass centuries-old buildings that have witnessed countless processions carrying the sacred relics.

Sanctuary of the Most Holy Miracle (Igreja de Santo Estêvão)

Local Name: Santuário do Santíssimo Milagre / Igreja de Santo Estêvão Address: Escadinhas do Milagre, 6, 2000-069 Santarém, Portugal GPS Coordinates: 39.2333700, -8.6820800 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: https://diocese-santarem.pt/santuario-do-santissimo-milagre/ Dedication: Most Holy Miracle (Santíssimo Milagre) / Saint Stephen Historical Note: The church's medieval origins are visible in the pointed arches that survive in the transept from the original Gothic structure. Following the 1531 earthquake, sixteenth-century reconstruction created the Renaissance interior visitors see today, characterized by four elegant arcades and classical decorative elements. The Baroque renovation of the early 1700s added the ornate retables and gilded woodwork. Classified as a National Monument in 1917, the sanctuary has undergone careful conservation efforts by both ecclesiastical and state authorities. Spiritual Importance: The miraculous Host and blood are preserved in a pear-shaped gold and silver monstrance, displayed atop an elaborate eighteenth-century Eucharistic throne above the main altar. Crystallized fragments of solidified blood mixed with the original wax are preserved in a separate glass reliquary beside the main relic. Renaissance statues of Saints Peter and Paul stand in niches before the triumphal arch, greeting pilgrims who come to venerate this extraordinary witness to Christ's Real Presence in the Eucharist.

---

Chapel of the Miracle

Local Name: Ermida do Santíssimo Milagre / Ermida do Milagre Address: Travessa das Esteiras, 2000 Santarém, Portugal GPS Coordinates: 39.2332500, -8.6818900 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Dedication: Most Holy Miracle Historical Note: This small chapel was built in 1663 on the exact site where, according to tradition, the woman's house once stood—the place where she hid the bleeding Host and where the miraculous light revealed angels in adoration. Commissioned by Dom Manuel dos Reis Tavares and his wife Dona Margarida César de Almeida, the chapel features a main façade framed by pilasters with conical pinnacles and topped by a curved pediment supporting a small bell tower. Above the rectangular portal, a coat of arms depicts the Most Holy Sacrament. Spiritual Importance: The chapel-mor is crowned by a pyramidal dome with a lantern and stucco ornaments imitating marble. The main altar, covered in polychrome marble, houses a niche containing the throne framed by Rococo gilded woodwork. A marble tombstone on the epistle wall marks where the chapel's founders are buried beneath the altar, supported by two stone lions. Each year on the second Sunday of April, the sacred relics are carried in procession from this chapel to the main sanctuary, retracing the path the Host took when it was returned to the church.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Second Sunday of April – Feast of the Most Holy Miracle Sanctuary of the Most Holy Miracle. The solemn annual celebration commemorates the Eucharistic miracle with a procession carrying the sacred relics from the Chapel of the Miracle to the main sanctuary, following the historic route taken when the Host was returned to the church centuries ago.

🛏️ Where to Stay

4-Star Hotels

Verdi Santarém ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Avenida Madre Andaluz, 2000-210 Santarém 🌐 Website: https://www.santaremhotel.net 🔗 Booking.com: santarem-santarem Perched on the Santarém plateau with panoramic views over the Ribatejo plains, this modern hotel features indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, and an excellent restaurant serving regional cuisine. The historic center is a short drive away.

3-Star Hotels

Hotel Umu ⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Avenida Bernardo Santareno, 38, 2005-177 Santarém 🔗 Booking.com: umu Recently renovated hotel among the traditional white buildings of Santarém, offering air-conditioned rooms with balconies and a daily breakfast buffet in an elegant dining area with floor-to-ceiling windows. The historic center with its Gothic churches is within walking distance.

Budget Accommodation

Hotel Vitória 📍 Address: Rua 2º Visconde de Santarém, 19-21, 2005-365 Santarém 🔗 Booking.com: vita3ria Family-run establishment in the center of Santarém offering comfortable, individually decorated rooms with a traditional Portuguese atmosphere. Free parking available, and local restaurants serving regional gastronomy are steps away.

🚗 Getting There

By Air: Lisbon's Humberto Delgado International Airport is approximately 80 kilometers south, about 50 minutes by car via the A1 motorway. By Train: Santarém Station receives regular service from Lisbon (Oriente, Santa Apolónia, or Rossio stations), with journey times of approximately one hour. The station is about 2 kilometers from the historic center; taxis are available at the station. By Bus: The Terminal Rodoviário de Santarém provides bus connections from Lisbon and other Portuguese cities. Regional buses serve surrounding towns including Fátima. By Car: From Lisbon, take the A1 motorway north toward Porto; exit at Santarém. The journey takes approximately 50 minutes. From Fátima, take the IC9 or A1 south; the drive is about 65 kilometers (45 minutes). Street parking is available in the historic center, though the medieval streets are narrow.

📚 Further Reading

Articles & Online Resources:

🔗 Useful Links

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

  • Fátima (65 km north) – Site of the 1917 Marian apparitions to three shepherd children, one of the world's major Marian shrines.
  • Lisbon (80 km south) – Portugal's capital, home to the relics of Saint Anthony of Padua and numerous historic churches.
  • Tomar (68 km northeast) – The Convent of Christ, founded by the Knights Templar and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"When I receive the Eucharist, which is the miracle of mercy, do I stand in awe before the Body of the Lord, who died and rose again for us?"
— Pope Francis, Angelus, 18 August 2024