This basilica was designed by the architect Carlos Amarante, commissioned by the then Archbishop of Braga, D. Gaspar de Bragança, to replace the previous church, from the same time as the staircase. Its works began on June 1, 1784, and were completed in 1811. The churchyard, also designed by Amarante, features eight statues representing characters who intervened in the condemnation, passion and death of Christ.