Festa da Divina Santa Cruz, Monsanto, Portugal
Central Portugal has a staggering amount of festas. We almost visit a different festa every weekend. The Portuguese community really do know how to host a good festa, particularly a medieval themed event. We have been to Medelim, Idanha-a-Velha and seen some amazing reinactments but Monsanto’s Festa da Divina Santa Cruz has to be the best yet.
Monsanto is a pretty spectacular village, built on a magical hillside, errupting almost volcano-esque from the surrounding flat farmlands. A series of grantie boulders, a hilltop village, castle and the most Portuguese of villages.
The Festa da Divina Santa Cruz is a jam-packed weekend festa which culminates in a procession to the hilltop castle. a symbolic flowerpot is thrown from the castle’s tower, which legend has it symbolises a bull, which was thrown from the tower during a Roman siege. The Romans were so disturbed by the villagers obvious abundance of supplies, even after a terrible siege when the village and castle was compltely isolated and without supplies, that they immediately packed up and left.
The festa today is full of fascinating characters, amazing animals, astounding musicians and the most beautiful of panoramic views.
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Hi Andrea, lovely photos. It looks like there has been a lot of work put into the festa. The snake and birds really add to it. So glad they sling a flowerpot from the castle now and not a bull. That could not have been very nice at all!
xx
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Wow, that really does look amazing. I was looking at the musicians in your first photo and then my eyes widened to the mountains. It looks like great fun too. #MySundayPhoto
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What a fantastic combination of things to see, do and hear. And great to have so many of them local to you to visit and contrast during the year!
A festival every day in Portugal! You know what I’m noticing about all your photographs? They’re all so well lit, unlike those posted us resident in Britain! Must be great to have all that natural sunlight to work with, As you know, rarely happens here. Anyway, loving the owl pic. Like Hedwig from harry Potter. #mysundayphoto
Looks like a fab community event, love the vibrancy and colours in the first picture, I can almost hear them. #MySundayPhoto
Another beautiful insight into country life there.
It looks like a fun and exciting festival
Have a good Sunday and thank you for linking up to #MySundayPhoto
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