Portugal): Religious and Cultural Itineraries Isilda Leitão Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies (ESHTE) - Portugal, [email protected]
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International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Volume 7 Issue 2 Special Issue : Volume 1 of Papers Presented at 10th International Religious Article 6 Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference 2018, Santiago de Compostela 2019 Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Nazaré (Portugal): religious and cultural itineraries isilda Leitão Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies (ESHTE) - Portugal, [email protected] Carlos Fernandes [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp Part of the Tourism and Travel Commons Recommended Citation Leitão, isilda and Fernandes, Carlos (2019) "Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Nazaré (Portugal): religious and cultural itineraries," International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage: Vol. 7: Iss. 2, Article 6. doi:https://doi.org/10.21427/v64d-4q40 Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol7/iss2/6 Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. © International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage ISSN : 2009-7379 Available at: http://arrow. dit. ie/ijrtp/ Volume 7(i) 2019 Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Nazaré (Portugal): religious and cultural itineraries Isilda Leitão Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies (ESHTE, Portugal) [email protected] Carlos Fernandes Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (Portugal) cfernandes@estg. ipvc.pt In Portugal, the Estremadura Círios (Candles pilgrimages) constitute one of the strongest surviving traditions of popular religiosity that are still present in the traditional and religious calendar of some Portuguese regions. Deriving from the tradition of religious devotion to Mary during the Middle Ages, sites such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Cabo Espichel, and prior to that the Shrine of Our Lady of Nazaré (Nazareth), generated a particular level of devotion by the 17th century, based on miracles which the Virgin of Nazaré granted to a local inhabitant. Since the 18th century, and the establishment of the Brotherhood of the Virgin of Nazareth of Pederneira, the Great Silver Candle Pilgrimage (Portuguese Círio da Prata Grande hereafter) has annually brought together 17 parishes of various municipalities to worship the Virgin of Nazaré under a form of pilgrimage, a Círio, which generally occurs in September of each year. Itineraries based on religious heritage have not been the object of development within a tourism perspective in this region. This study aims at establishing itineraries, based on the rich history of the religious spaces, sites and manifestations in order to attract more domestic and inbound tourists to the region. The research methods include theoretical observations based on a literature review, document analysis and historiographical research, on the fields of history, heritage, culture, religion and itinerary design, and field studies undertaken over a number of years, including photographic surveying. We believe the itineraries present an opportunity for tourism development in this region, focusing on cultural and religious experiences. Key Words: Shrine of Our Lady of Nazaré, pilgrimage, Círio da Prata Grande, itineary Introduction Círio da Prata Grande pilgrimage of Igreja Nova (Mafra), a religious event whose tradition stems from According to Ambrósio (2006), the Portuguese the 18th century, in order to attract more visitors. As pilgrimage and religious tourism sector is expanding this pilgrimage connects to the shrine of Our Lady of much like the entire Catholic world. While this proves Nazaré, it would also be very practical and of shared relatively easier for religious events interconnected benefit were the annual Círio pilgrimage to link with with a major sanctuary, such as Fatima, which deploy the Nazaré pilgrimage, which also takes place in strong marketing to position itself among domestic and September. This religious connection would seem inbound tourists, in some areas of Portugal we obvious: the people of Igreja Nova parish (a very encounter major shortcomings in marketing and specifically defined geographical place) receive the communication of religious sites, events and pilgrim image of Our Lady and go every single year on pilgrimages. This situation often has to do with the pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Nazaré. Thus, failure of local / regional authorities to comprehend the we shall also detail this Shrine and its importance to potential of such religious manifestations for tourism the development of the Círio. development, in the form of sharing cultural experiences with visitors. Furthermore, the Igreja Nova parish (Mafra) links to another círio: the Círio of Our Lady of the Cabo This exploratory study correspondingly aims to Espichel (Sesimbra). We therefore also reference this produce a religious itinerary used for tourism purposes Shrine and its Círio, the oldest in existence in Portugal, for parishes in the Municipalities of Mafra, Sintra, within the scope of proposing the establishing of Torres Vedras and Nazaré, following in the steps of the another cultural and religious itinerary interlinking ~ 41 ~ Leitão & Fernandes Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Nazaré (Portugal): religious and cultural itineraries these two councils (Mafra and Sesimbra). Afterall, as different years and included photographic surveying, we shall see, the religious tradition has been ongoing, used for cataloguing and mapping of the cultural down through the centuries, irrespective of the greater resources. or lesser stability of the prevailing times. Literature Review Methodology Throughout history, one community after another has The methodology adopted is qualitative, based on route left behind traces and evidence of their way of life [and design and a review of the Religious History and their cultural heritage]. This evidence, known as Culture literature about Candles and the Círio da Prata cultural traces, is tangible evidence that helps us study Grande (Great Silver Candle). Despite the over 600 and research past societies (Boado, 1996). Cultural hundred years of the existence of this kind of heritage assets include both tangible assets, such as pilgrimage in Portugal, there is still little information historic places, and intangible assets, such as cultural available. This is especially relevant when according to practices (McKercher & du Cros, 2002). Tourism is Varico Pereira (Diário de Notícias, 2009) the religious increasingly offering a range of cultural products, from tourism sector in Portugal involves some 7 million visiting monuments and traditional arts and crafts people per year, thus 10% of the tourism flux, with centres [and religious sites] to participating in annual profits of €700 million. Still, religious tourism, historical events and discovering unique lifestyles. or tourism to religious destinations, integrates the Tourism creates an interest in these particular forms of designated ‘cultural tourism’ or ‘cultural touring’ culture [eg. religious heritage], often encouraging the products and not any specific product or status. preservation of cultural and historical traditions. Potentially the relationship between tourism and the There is no official or regional data about visitation to cultural sector is highly complementary. The cultural places of devotion in Portugal, with the exception of sector creates attractions for the tourist while tourism Fatima, as travel to religious sites is considered part of supplies extra audiences for cultural events and the overall cultural tourism product. Literature also activities (Tighe, 1991). For purposes of this study, the shows little research available, other than in the North definition of cultural tourism is: of Portugal (see for example, Richards & Fernandes, visits by persons from outside the host 2007; and Fernandes, Coelho & Brázio, 2015) and community motivated wholly or in part by some case studies on Fátima (see for example, interest in the historical, artistic, and scientific Ambrosio, 2006; Santos, 2006). There is no statistical or lifestyle / heritage offerings of a community, information available as regards participation in Círios region, group or institution (Silberberg, religious events. Whereas in Nazaré there are some 1995:361). data on the participation of thousands of people who go to the ‘profane’ festival in September, mostly for Furthermore, one of the characteristics of postmodern entertainment purposes; there are no data for those society is that individuals are questing for personal and going on the essentially secular pilgrimage, such as the social development through the living of leisure Círio da Prata Grande. experiences. Within this context, culture raises the most important raw material for the generation of those The research for this study is based upon a literature experiences (Richards, 2001), particularly, as cultural review of theoretical observations, including cultural tourism brings together one or several cultural route or itinerary design and its importance for tourism; elements (i. e heritage, artwork, traditions, etc.), documentary analysis and historiographical research, in making up the central component and complementing the fields of history, heritage, culture and religion and; the experience of the trip (Morere & Perelló, 2013). field studies over a number of years, including Tourism at religious or sacred sites is a special type of photographic surveying. The resulting materials, cultural heritage tourism (Shackley, 2001), since derived from the documental