Pilgrims and curious people make this one of the greatest centers of pilgrimage and prayer for people coming from all over the globe.

The Shrine was built on the site of Mary’s apparitions to the three little shepherds Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta (while they were feeding their sheep in the place of the Cova da Iria).

The last apparition in 1917 brought together about 70,000 people who gathered to watch: “As people prayed, Our Lady of Fatima appeared and the” Miracle of the Sun “happened: the heavy rain that had fallen until then stopped and the Sun appeared to appear spinning like a fireball. “

In the region of one of the world-wide altars of the Marian cult, you will also find dishes typical of Portuguese cuisine, such as the famous Leitão da Bairrada, crumbs with cabbages, beans with pumpkin, peas, stewed lamb, and sausages that deserve prominent in the Portuguese tables, such as slim chorizo, blood sausage, white farinheira, blood sausage and black pudding of rice, watered by the medieval wine of Ourém. In the sweets, highlight the sweet quince, donut, cookies of the Saints, sweet snacks and cake bow.

Souvenir shops are part of the mystical environment of Fatima, here you will find all kinds of sacred art articles and various amulets or handicrafts, finding various and personalized solutions.

Nuno Álvares Pereira, Patron of the National Infantry is considered the greatest Portuguese military genius of all time, known as the Holy Constable, defeated the invading troops of Castile guaranteeing the independence of Portugal.

Almost by miracle, the Battle was won in numerical inferiority in less than an hour, thanks to the innovative military strategy that had the support of the British.

In the Interpretation Center of the Battle of Aljubarrota it is possible to watch a multimedia spectacle, to cross the battlefield with specialist in Military History, to buy products of exclusive design and to try diverse replicas of arms and armor that were used at the time.

As a tribute to Batalha, Aljubarrota has been the scene of a medieval fair held annually in August.

The village is rich in architectural motifs, historical memories and ancestral stones that constitute a living museum of Portuguese history.

In the surrounding landscape of Arrábida it is difficult to determine the dividing line between human intervention and the work of the divine nature. This area, made by nature on a day of particular perfection, is inhabited since there is memory.

The earliest evidence of Man’s presence in this region dates back to the Lower Paleolithic that occupied some of the numerous caves that exist mainly in the mountains. It is known that in a cave located in Arrábida was found vestiges of the life of the last men of Neandertal, already near the time of the last glaciation.

The great civilizations of the Mediterranean have passed by here, the Atlantic ones too, and this mixture, contact and opposition, builds the history of this place. The beaches of rare beauty and the bay of the city, considered one of the most beautiful in the world, figure in the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World.

In the face of the surroundings, it is worth noting a gastronomy that essentially focuses on fish and seafood specialties, but also a very rich traditional sweets, which include queijadas, pies and “those of Azeitão”, the “shells” of orange of Setúbal, without forgetting the famous honey of the Serra and the production of cheese as one of the significant artisan and economic activities of this region of the Costa Azul.

The wine production in the region of Setúbal gave rise to internationally recognized products, with a variety of quality red and white wines, obtained from mature grapes on the Serra slopes. Among these products, we should highlight the Moscatel de Setúbal, a renowned liqueur wine of demarcated origin centered in Azeitão and the Arrabidine liqueur produced by the friars who inhabit the Convent of Our Lady of Arrábida.

One of the beaches of Serra da Arrábida and the Natural Park of Arrábida were chosen by the British newspaper “The Mirror” two of the “best beaches in Portugal”, a selection that includes ten beaches from the Algarve to Lisbon.

Arrábida is a territory of knowledge, heritage, stories to tell and retreat of hermits that followed the Way of Grace, with lives devoted to Mary.

]]> https://www.mysticpaths.pt/destinos/torre-de-moncorvo/ Wed, 18 Apr 2018 12:18:40 +0000 http://www.mysticpaths.pt/destinos/torre-de-moncorvo/ The first written reference to the village of Carção dates from 1187, when the Monks of the Convent gave King Sancho the homestead of Benquerença, in the place that is today Bragança, receiving in exchange, among others, the village of Carção.

Known as the “Capital of Marranism in Trás-os-Montes”, the small village in the municipality of Vimioso, district of Bragança, is an important symbol of the culture and sui generis religious practices of the Jews expelled from Spain who took refuge in the Portuguese raian villages no century XV: the Marranos, the “clandestine Jews” of Portugal.

Perhaps also because of this, its people went out into the night street outside every Lent to order the souls. The custom that no one knows how it began, but which repeats itself religiously every year, is associated with the sacred time of Christ’s death, and it is the people of the people who intercede directly for theirs and for all souls who have not yet found the way of Heaven.

The gastronomic route of this region is divine and easy to find in a varied and colorful cuisine based on the ingredients that the land provides throughout the year, in the meats of the region’s natural breeds – Maronese, Mirandese and Bissara – or game and delicious cod with rye bread or bread. The cheeses, the smoked, the olives, the own olive oil, the folar and regional sweets take the traveler directly to the paradise.

The village of Carção, also known by the fluvial beach surrounded by a dense grove that gives it a wild and paradisiacal environment, is mentioned by the Portuguese writer Camilo Castelo Branco in his best-known novel “Amor de Perdição”.

A stage of numerous conflicts between Christianity and Islam, the main entrance is through the Porta d’el Rei of the wall that surrounds the medieval castle, reconquered in 1160 by the 1st king of Portugal.

The Jewish presence can be observed in dozens of cruciformes and Hebrew inscriptions, in the architecture, in the famous House of the Black Cat and in the works of the future Center of Jewish Interpretation “Isaac Cardoso”.

In Trancoso, there is still the headquarters of the English General Beresford, Count of Trancoso, commander of the Anglo-Portuguese troops during the Peninsular War against the Napoleonic troops.

It was here that the famous Trovas do Bandarra appeared, forbidden by the Holy Office because they were considered messianic prophecies that refer to the myth of the return of Encoberto, linked to D. Sebastião, disappeared in the Battle of Alcácer Quibir.

The statue of the “prophet of Trancoso,” the Portuguese Nostradamus, a cobbler who became one of the most esoteric figures of Portugal in composing divine-inspired troves that prophesied the loss of Portugal’s independence in 1580 and its restoration in 1640, in the municipality.

On Fridays, one of the biggest markets of Beira Alta is held, in August the well-known annual fair of São Bartolomeu, and in December, the Fair of Santa Luzia. Trancoso also promotes the Smoke, Flavors and Handicrafts Fair of the Northeast of Beira every year with various exhibitors of sausages and smoked products, cheeses, bread, regional sweets, wines, honey, olive oils and regional handicrafts.

The Sweet Sardines are a specialty of the conventual confectionery of Trancoso, whose history dates back to the end of the 17th century, when it is believed to have begun its production in the Convent of Freiras of the Order of Santa Clara.

Forte (Strong): by the symbolism of the tower of the castle and the walls, and of its geographical position.

Farta (Full): for all the wealth of the Mondego River valley;

Fria (Cold): by the proximity to Serra da Estrela – where it usually snows;

Fiel (Faithful): because the Chief Warden of the Guardian Castle, during the crisis of 1383-85, refused to hand over the keys of the city to the King of Castile.

Formosa (Beautiful): by the evident and so natural beauty guarded by the city.

The cuisine is very rich and is associated with that of the Serra da Estrela and the extensive grazing lands, consisting essentially of dishes of delicious pork, lamb, kid, beef, white meats, sausages and the famous sheep’s cheese from the Serra, accompanying with a good wine. The blood pudding made during the winter is traditional of the city, but it is also worth tasting the ham cured in sea salt and, in the time of the hunt, the malandrinho hare rice or the wild boar with beans. In regional sweets, the children, biscuits, biscuits, the Bola Parda and the Bola da Guarda stand out.

A land of hospitable people, one of the most important Jewish communities in the country was established here, with great economic and cultural influence and who continued to practice their religion and live according to their own customs.

The air, historically recognized for health and purity, was distinguished by the European Bioclimatic Federation in 2002, which awarded the Guard the title of the first “Iberian Bioclimatic City”.

“Aeminium” – the Roman name of Coimbra – illustrates well the topography of the region where the city is located: the “meneiu” at the “top of the hill”.

Former capital of the country, famous for the quantity and beauty of its convents, this riverside town in the center of Portugal full of myths and legends, houses a preserved medieval old town and the historic University of Coimbra.

The University founded by D. Dinis in the 12th century, was definitively installed in the city in 1537 on the site of an old palace, being famous for its baroque library, the Joanine Library and its 18th century bell tower.

At the table, Coimbra stands out definitely in confectionery, a secular tradition that is due in large part to the influence of conventual life and traditions. It is worth to taste the Cavacas from Coimbra, Manjar Branco or “Maminha de Freira”, pasteis de Santa Clara, Lampreia de Ovos, Arrufadas de Coimbra, among many others. Although the city does not have a dish that characterizes it, in the restaurants and taverns you can taste excellent delicacies and typical dishes and snacks, such as the chanfana or the roasted piglet in the style of Bairrada, a border area.

City of students, “narrow streets, courtyards, stairways and medieval arches”, Coimbra is the cradle of the most beloved traditions (such as pottery: art made of clay) where we can traverse the memory of the most beautiful stories of Portugal.

Highlight for the gastronomic fortnights, held annually and dedicated to “food of olive oil”, chestnut, cod, game, kid and lamb. As typical confectionery of the county we have the apple boleimas, the finest or festive cakes, the sweet rice, the scalded ones, the rosquilhas and the honey buns, accompanied by the traditional liqueurs of walnut, chestnut and fig.

As far as handicrafts are concerned, the county has a very peculiar tradition, which is embroidered with chestnut shells, in addition to baskets, brown wood stairs and pastoral art works.

Every year, the village promotes the Islamic Festival “Al Mossassa” celebrated in parallel with the Spanish city of Badajoz in honor of the Islamic culture and its founder, the warrior Ibn Maruan.

“From Marvão the whole earth is seen.” It is understood that here the visitor ends by venting in delight: ‘How great is the world!’ “

In this case, the confidence is made by the poet José Saramago during a trip for the charms of Portugal.

If the wall once housed the whole population, today the white and picturesque houses are inhabited by genuine people in the art of receiving, in a historic village ideal to visit at any time of the year.

The Monastery of Alcobaça, one of the winners of the national election in 2007 for “The 7 Wonders of Portugal” is the most expressive and beautiful monument of Cistercian architecture in all of Christian Europe and is the result of a promise of the 1st king of Portugal. Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1989, it houses the tombs of the eternal passionate Pedro and Inês de Castro, in a Portuguese version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

In the center of the city, the Wine Museum presents the largest wine estate in the country, with more than 10 thousand pieces allusive allusive to the nectar of the Greek God Dionysus and Roman Bacchus, revealing the tradition of the Cister monks who produced wine for 600 years.

Throughout the 20th century, some local specialties emerged that became authentic gastronomic business cards of Alcobaça, the best known being the chicken in the pucara and the cherne à Frei João, a recipe created in 1955 in honor of the chief cook of the Abbey and the farinheiras, the sausages, the rice sausages and the crumbs, characteristic of all of Alta Estremadura, as well as the various bean soups.

It is also thanks to the gastronomic heritage of the monks of Cister, that Alcobaça is known for the city of the Conventual Sweets, hosting since 1999 the International Exhibition of Conventual Sweets and Liquors. Examples of local confectionery are Delícia de Frei João and the Eggs Pudding of the Friars of the Convent of Alcobaça or the famous Bread-de-Ló de Alfeizerão.

The village receives the constant praise of “Sintra do Alentejo” for its romantic features, green gardens and proximity to the São Mamede mountain range.

We are often surprised, whether by the castle surrounded by white houses or by one of the best preserved Jewish houses in Portugal, where the names of the streets and the signs of the cult of Hebrew generations on the granite doors unveil centuries of history.

In this place with a magical aura of low houses and narrow, crooked streets, we are easily enchanted by the charm of the medieval scenery and a delicious gastronomy of sui generis names: sarapatel, tomatada watering holes, cuesta alhada, migas with entrecosto, coentry or liver in the fashion of Castelo de Vide.

In the confectionery, highlight the boleimas, fin cake, scalded cookies, dumplings, curd cheese cakes, dough cake or honey buns.

The tradition of Castelo de Vide revives those same times gone back in its Medieval Market: “a unique and fascinating experience that transports us to a very distant past with tascas, theater, mountaineers, music, and much animation”.