Abstract

O presente estudo, elaborado a convite da Comissão Científica do VII Congresso Jacobeu, realizado em Santiago de Compostela, de 16 a 18 de Outubro de 2004, apresenta uma visão de conjunto dos principais santos taumaturgos portugueses e respectivos centros de devoção, dispersos ao longo dos caminhos mais frequentemente percorridos pelos peregrinos portugueses, quer elegessem algum destes santuários como meta exclusiva da sua peregrinação, quer, de passagem para Compostela, aproveitassem o ensejo de os visitar e suplicar a protecção dos seus titulares. Privilegiámos as notícias dos numerosos e diversificados "milagres" obtidos por devotos portugueses, mas, embora raros, registámos também alguns realizados a favor de peregrinos de além fronteiras, expressamente vindos suplicar a graça desejada. A notícia conjunta destes santos taumaturgos portugueses e dos milagres realizados nos centros onde eram venerados ajuda a compreender o capítulo, ainda mal conhecido, da devoção popular no Portugal medievo. The present study, developed by invitation of the Scientific Commission of the VII Jacobean Congress, held in Santiago de Compostela, from the 16th to the 18th of October 2004, presents a global view of the main Portuguese thaumaturge saints and their respective devotion centres, scattered through the routes more frequently travelled over by the Portuguese pilgrims, either they chose some of these sanctuaries as the exclusive goal of their pilgrimage or, on their way to Compostela, they took the opportunity to visit them and plead their patron saints for protection. We have given precedence to the reports of the many and diversified "miracles" obtained by Portuguese devotees, but, although rare, we have also listed some miracles operated in favour of pilgrims from abroad, who had come on purpose to supplicate for their desired grace to be conceded. The combined news of these Portuguese thaumaturge saints and of the miracles operated in the centres where they were venerated helps to understand the subject, still rather unknown, of popular devotion in Medieval Portugal