Festivals and Pilgrimages Northern Portugal
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FESTIVALS AND PILGRIMAGES NORTHERN PORTUGAL 4 Presentation 46 Esposende 82 Paços de Ferreira 117 Torre de Moncorvo 6 Map 48 Fafe 84 Paredes 119 Trofa 49 Felgueiras 86 Paredes de Coura 121 Vale de Cambra 8 Alfândega da Fé 50 Freixo de Espada à Cinta 87 Penafiel 123 Valença 10 Alijó 51 Gondomar 89 Penedono 124 Valongo 11 Amarante 53 Guimarães 91 Peso da Régua 125 Valpaços 11 Amares 55 Lamego 92 Ponte da Barca 127 Viana do Castelo 13 Arcos de Valdevez 57 Lousada 93 Ponte de Lima 129 Vieira do Minho 17 Armamar 60 Macedo de Cavaleiros 94 Porto 131 Vila do Conde 18 Arouca 61 Maia 96 Póvoa de Lanhoso 133 Vila Flor 22 Baião 63 Marco de Canaveses 97 Póvoa de Varzim 134 Vila Nova de Cerveira 23 Barcelos 65 Matosinhos 99 Resende 136 Vila Nova de Famalicão 25 Boticas 66 Melgaço 101 Ribeira de Pena 137 Vila Nova de Foz Côa 27 Braga 68 Mesão Frio 103 Sabrosa 139 Vila Nova de Gaia 29 Bragança 68 Miranda do Douro 105 Santa Maria da Feira 142 Vila Pouca de Aguiar 32 Cabeceiras de Basto 70 Mirandela 106 Santa Marta Penaguião 142 Vila Real 33 Caminha 71 Mogadouro 108 Santo Tirso 144 Vila Verde 36 Carrazeda de Ansiães 73 Moimenta da Beira 109 São João da Madeira 146 Vimioso 38 Castelo de Paiva 74 Monção 110 São João da Pesqueira 147 Vinhais 40 Celorico de Basto 76 Mondim de Basto 110 Sernancelhe 148 Vizela 41 Chaves 78 Montalegre 112 Tabuaço 41 Cinfães 79 Murça 114 Tarouca 152 Tourist Information 43 Espinho 80 Oliveira de Azeméis 115 Terras de Bouro 2 | FESTIVALS AND PILGRIMAGES 3 | NORTHERN PORTUGAL Women decorate the altars, put their best quilts on the windows for the procession, receive family members from afar and prepare their best meals to make sure no mouth goes unfed during these days. Men wear their best suits, attend Mass, carry heavy wooden platforms, put on a firework display announcing the feast, A tourist destination and always choose the best wine to with a rich and accompany the good food. Here, varied offer, where traditions remain intact. The ancient traditions centuries-old festivals that shine to the rhythm of traditional folklore also remain alive and exhibit in the public squares tools and are revived handicrafts, closely linked to the people’s daily life and labour needs. Religiosity and the pagan celebration retain their splendour, year after year, Festivals and pilgrimages are a thanks to the spirit of its people that dances and fill your heart with the constant practice in the North of bring it all together in merriment, friendliness and human warmth with Portugal. A region with centuries of where there is no shortage of which the North will always welcome history, where ancient traditions marches and parades; singing groups you... remain alive and are revived in a and music bands; sporting events, Come along and do join us at the territory dotted with churches, contests and auctions. festivals! sanctuaries, convents, chapels and Worhsip as well as popular monasteries, places where people celebrations attract not only fervent come to fiercely worship throughout pilgrims seeking miracles and the year. fulfilling promises, but also tourists In the villages, towns and cities in the moved by the echo of traditions, North, customs and traditions never curious about the cultural and end. All the experiences are blended heritage sites in the North of with the rituals of the pilgrimages to Portugal, to where thousands flock. the Virgin, the patroness saints, or Visit our temples, learn about the with the June festivals in honour of antiquity of its origins, walk around the popular saints, a period in which the surrounding landscapes, marvel its inhabitants - working people of a at the colourful illuminations, share thousand trades - dedicate body and our joy, taste the homemade soul to their festivals and pilgrimages. delicacies, enjoy our traditional 4 | FESTIVALS AND PILGRIMAGES 5 | NORTHERN PORTUGAL 6 | FESTIVALS AND PILGRIMAGES 7 | NORTHERN PORTUGAL ALFÂNDEGA DA FÉ location: Rua da Igreja - Sambade FESTIVAL IN HONOUR OF NOSSA GPS: 41°24’47.47”N 6°58’27.41”W SENHORA DE FÁTIMA (OUR LADY OF FÁTIMA) last Sunday of May FESTIVAL IN HONOUR OF SANTO ANTÃO DA BARCA Cerejais village is located on a plateau 1st weekend of September overlooking the Sabor river, where an impressive landscape of scattered A festival held annually in honour of settlements can be seen in the Santo Antão da Barca, located in the horizon. parish of Parada, in Alfândega da Fé. Here, you will find the Sanctuary of This Sanctuary was relocated due to Cerejais, which attracts a large location: Largo S. Sebastião the construction of the Baixo Sabor number of believers throughout the GPS: 41°20’27.32”N 6°57’41.07”W dam. The site where the old sanctuary year and who come here to fulfil their was located will be submerged by the promises or just for religious devotion waters of the reservoir. on the last Sunday of May. FESTIVAL IN HONOUR OF NOSSA The Chapel of Santo Antão, a building SENHORA DAS NEVES from the 18th century, was moved to location: Santuário (Sanctuary) do Imaculado (OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS) the new location through a heritage Coração de Maria, in Cerejais 3rd weekend of August preservation process, unique in the GPS: 41°17’41.73”N 6°55’25.41”W country. Built on top of a hill, on the site Sambade is the most populous village known as Rebentão, about a kilometre of the municipality. A beautiful village, away from its previous location, the FESTIVAL IN HONOUR OF MÁRTIR proud of its church, built in the late future sanctuary replicates the same S. SEBASTIÃO 18th century in the middle of a relationship with the water and the (THE MARTYR ST. SEBASTIAN) churchyard with leafy trees and same spatial orientation, although at a 2nd weekend of August pleasant stone benches that invite you higher altitude. The new sanctuary to rest and breathe the fresh mountain comprises the old chapel and buildings In August, in Alfândega da Fé, the air. built from scratch, such as an inn, a Martyr St. Sebastian Festival is The festival takes place on the third restaurant & bar, a museum and an celebrated, so as to demonstrate the Sunday of August (the main day) and administrative space. deep popular belief and the apotheosis lasts four days. of the sacred. In parallel, the profane It starts on Friday and ends on the location: Santuário (Sanctuary) de Santo programme provides colour, music, joy following Monday. Antão da Barca (St. Anthony of Barca) and plenty of reasons for Although its origin is obscure, this GPS: 41°15’55.50”N 6°53’23.80”W entertainment to its inhabitants as festival is characterized by a strong well as to visiting tourists, who tradition and undoubtedly one of the contact experience, year after year, the folk largest festivals in the region, thus Casa da Cultura de Alfândega traditions, habits and customs. attracting a large number of pilgrims. tel.:+351 279 460 020 8 | FESTIVALS AND PILGRIMAGES 9 | NORTHERN PORTUGAL e-mail: [email protected] The large and heavy wooden platform PEGARINHOS FESTIVAL IN which offer a varied programme for City Council of Alfândega da Fé on which the patron saint is set is HONOUR OF NOSSA SENHORA three days. The festival’s highlights take tel.:+351 279 468 120 auctioned off between the group of DOS AFLITOS (OUR LADY OF THE place as usual on Friday, with a contest Tourism Office the “young” and the group of the “old”. AFFLICTED) of bumble bees at the São Gonçalo tel.:+351 279 462 739 The group with the highest bid will last weekend of August Square; on Saturday, with fireworks and have the privilege of carrying the on Sunday, with the Procession in wooden platform along the streets of It is a festival strongly dedicated to honour of São Gonçalo. ALIJÓ the village on the day of the Gala the village’s patron saint, Our Lady of VILAR DE MAÇADA FESTIVAL IN Procession dedicated to Our Lady of the Afflicted. The Gala Procession is location: Urban centre HONOUR OF SENHOR JESUS DA Pity. an authentic biblical recreation made GPS: 41°16’08”N 8°04’43”W CAPELINHA (THE LORD JESUS OF The usually large proceeds from this with the dedication of its people, who CAPELINHA) auction go to the sanctuary. The take their momentary role as actors, contact 2nd weekend of July festival lasts for five days, with dressed in period clothing, very City Council of Amarante beautiful pyrotechnic shows and seriously, arousing the curiosity of tel.:+351 255 420 200 Vilar de Maçada festival takes place in musical entertainment. thousands of outsiders. e-mail: [email protected] July and is dedicated to the Lord At night, you can expect plenty of www.cm-amarante.pt Jesus of Capelinha. It is usually a location: Sanfins do Douro entertainment until the morning. lively festival, especially with regard GPS: N 41.277548 O -7.458858 to music, and therefore calls the location: Pegarinhos AMARES attention of many young people that GPS: N 41.279741 O -7.456626 EASTER - PROCESSION CROSSING attend it for pure joy. FESTIVAL IN HONOUR OF SANTA THE HOMEM RIVER MARIA MAIOR (ST. MARY MAJOR) contact Monday after Easter location: Vilar de Maçada OF ALIJÓ City Council of Alijó GPS: N 41.268259 O -7.466583 from August 13 to 16 tel.:+351 259 957 107 This is one of the highest solemnities of e-mail: [email protected] Easter in the parish of Fiscal, in Amares.