Garden built behind the former Archbishop’s Palace of Braga, today the Public Library and headquarters of the University of Minho. It is an emblematic space of the city, marked by the varied colour palette of the annual plants in its numerous gardens.
It is located next to the oldest wing, built in 1336 at the request of Archbishop Gonçalo Pereira, grandfather of Nuno Álvares Pereira. The building has undergone several renovations over time, giving it an intricate layout with several wings built at different times. In addition to the Gothic wing, there is the Renaissance wing, with works throughout the 16th century by Archbishops D. Diogo de Sousa, D. Manuel de Sousa, D. Frei Agostinho de Jesus and, finally, the 18th century Baroque wing by D. José de Bragança.
Its name comes from the statue of Saint Barbara that crowns the 17th-century fountain in the centre of the garden, which is accessed from the perimeter by eight straight paths between geometric boxwood flowerbeds, permanently decorated with ornamental plants that are almost always in bloom. The endless colours and aromas are complemented by the fountain, the lamps and, to the west, the façade of the old Medieval Palace of Braga, which, with its battlements and arcades, harmoniously complements this garden.