2011 11 - What Makes Portugal Unique?
Tuesday, 01 November 2011 18:11
What Makes Portugal Unique?
France has the Eiffel Tower, Spain has the flamenco.
So, on this Day of the Dead; What makes Portugal different?
Well, read on and we will tell you. Let's start with The Fado.
Below is a poem by Aníbal Nazaré.
You asked me the other day if I know what is Fado
I said I did not know.
You were surprised.
Without knowing what I was saying, I lied to you
And said I did not know, but now will tell you:
Cursed souls
Lost nights
Bizarre shadows
Love, jealousy
Ash and flames
Pain and sin
All this exists-
All this is sad-
All this is Fado.
Also view a video showing Fado in action at
1. This month's travel secret - A Behind the Scenes Look at Portugal
Europe's First Nation-State (That is where we get the gray hair)
Galicia is a province of Northwestern Spain, and is tied to Portugal's origins. Portuguese is derived from Luso-Gailico, a "corruption" of common Latin. Today, the Galician language is very similar to modern Portuguese, and in the 11th century the Galicia and Northern Portugal formed the fragile frontier of Europe with Moorish forces.
By 1090, a new state was created under Count Henrique. It was called Portucale. Portus Cale referred to either the port town of Cale (Gaia today) or Cale and its neighboring town. Today “Portus” is known as Porto.
When D. Henrique died, his wife took the county of Portucale. Their son, D. Afonso Henriques called his mother out in 1128, just outside the capital Guimaraes at the Battle of Sao Mamede, and replaced her as ruler. At this point Guimarães was the capital of Portugal, a heavily fortified city north of Porto. The Minho River was then, as it is today, on the border with Galicia, and the Moors held the lands south of the Mondego River. Today, Guimarães is still one of the country's most historic cities, its medieval streets are filled with ancient monuments such as its castle, with eight 92 foot towers, built in the 10th century to protect the population from attacks by the Moors.
Next, D. Afonso pushed the Moors back beyond the Mondego River expanding his county. In 1139 D. Afonso won a legendary battle at Ourique, defeating five Caliphs and declaring his nation's independence. By 1143 the warrior king's new nation had won Papal recognition.
By 1147 he led his small army to victory, taking the city of Lisbon.
What is the deal with "Portuguese?" Sounds like Russian??
Portuguese is a derivative of Latin, and one of a few languages on the Iberian Peninsula that grew up after the fall of the Roman Empire. One of the first written works of Portuguese literature is the poem "Cantiga d'Amigo" by Portugal's second king, D. Sancho I.
The language began in what is today northern Portugal and Galicia, but it was the first European language to be recognized as official by the royal court. In 1288, King D. Dinis (12611325), created the first Portuguese university and decreed that Portuguese be known as the Portuguese language and officially used in place of Latin, a first for post-Roman Europe.
Portugal’s Flag - Must be old?
Nope, not really. The Portuguese coat of arms is one of the oldest national symbols in Europe. It is a shield of smaller blue shields framed by castles and a globe. But the flag is 101 years old.
When D. Afonso Henriques inherited his father's title of Count of Portucale he took the Cross of Burgundy as his symbol, as his father was from Burgundy. D. Afonso Henriques and his small army defeated the armies of five Caliphs at the Battle of Ourique, but popular belief is that the battle took place not in Ourique in the Alentejo, but in nearby Castro Verde. The Remedios Church there is filled with historical paintings of the battle, and at the Royal Basilica there are azulejo panels that tell the story of the mythical victory. Modern historians say both towns are too far south to make sense, and some place the real battle at Alfafar.
Soon after the Battle of Ourique, the new Portuguese coat of arms showed five small shields, which according to some represent the five defeated Moorish kings, but others claim it was the five wounds of Christ, with the six small bezants in each escutcheon of the 30 pieces of silver used to betray Christ. Four hundred years later the "coins" in each Quina would be reduced to five, adding up to 25, but the theory says to add the middle shield twice.
A change to the coat of arms came under Afonso III 1201-1279, who added a border of castles. Some say the arms of Castile inspired this, but many argue the castles are actually the towns of Mertola, Cacela, Tavira, Faro and Portimao and are the last five Moorish strongholds to fall. The Algarve was Portuguese in 1249, and a treaty in 1267 with Castile, solidified
Portugal's modern borders. The number of castles has strangely varied over the centuries, and was fixed at seven in the 15th century.
From the beginning, the colors of the nation had been blue and white, but in 1910, when Portugal's last king was deposed and the First Republic installed, the blue and white were replaced by green and red. It was said that the green symbolizes either hope or the green fields of Portugal, and red the effort or sacrifice of those who defend the nation. Nice make-over!
Any Interesting Place Names? You betcha!
Portugal has its share of places with interesting names, which are often corruptions of ancient Roman or pre-Roman names.
In northeastern Portugal, on the Douro River facing Spain, stands the 14th century town of Freixo de Espada á Cinta. This name could mean, "An ash tree with a sword at its belt." It might be named after the ancient warrior, Freixo. Some say the name is Visigoth in origin, based on the word Espadacinta. Most likely, it is named for King Dinis, as a warning that the town was well defended. In the Centro Region of Portugal, five towns within a few dozen miles of each other seem to have competition over their medieval castles. In the mountains near the Spanish border are Castelo Mendo (Mendo's Castle), Castelo Branco (White Castle), Castelo Novo (New Castle), Castelo Bom (Good Castle) and Castelo Melhor (Better Castle).
The Soul of Portugal, Wrought in Stone
Every guidebook to Portugal says that the great abbey at Batalha is not to be missed, an architectural masterpiece that commemorates a military victory in 1385. That is not 100 true. Yes, the great abbey began as the fulfillment of a vow on the eve of battle, but it ended up being something totally different than was intended.
First off, no one celebrates wars, as death and suffering offer little in the way of hope and faith confirming imagery. Batalha is a monument to courage, and what came after the Battle Aljubarrota, as much as it is a monument to the passion for independence that has always defined the people of Portugal. When King D. Fernando died without heir, the majority of the nobility in Portugal was keen to unite the crown with that of Castile. The merchants and commoners recruited D. João, head of the Order of Aviz to lead an improbable fight of continued independence.
Aljubarrota was a heroic last stand, and an attempt to turn back a far superior Spanish force. Under D. João, and his army commander, the recently sainted D. Nuno Alvares Pereira, the Spanish forces were routed, and the Aviz dynasty soon set Portugal in a direction that changed the course of world history. Within a generation, Portuguese ships sailed the Atlantic and within a century Portuguese commander Vasco da Gama sailed to India.
Today the fact that Portugal is a nation at all is celebrated in the stone of the great abbey of Batalha. The great abbey became a monument to what the nation could be, to the vision of its people and kings and to the potential of its future. Still unfinished to this day, the soaring gothic church remains elegant to visitors.
The real monument is the Chapter House, a vast unsupported dome of 19 square meters that rivals the Roman Pantheon or the Duomo at Florence. It is an unparalleled engineering feat by Master Architect Afonso Domingues. Novelist Alexandre Herculano wrote that the old master spent three nights under the newly completed Chapter House, and not only did it hold, it survives today, 600 years later.
Today the dome is home to the tomb of the unknown Portuguese soldier, marked with a village of honor guards, and a cross for the battlefields of World War I where more than 30,000 Portuguese soldiers perished.
2. News
20 reasons to go to Portugal now according to Wallpaper Magazine -The November issue of the magazine Wallpaper's cover features Portugal. Inside, there is an article called "The top 20 reasons to go to Portugal." The list highlights:
Lisbon Hotels Among the World’s Best – TOP 100 - American travel magazine, Travel + Leisure, just released the results of the 16th annual readers’ poll, which determines the crème de la crème of the world’s top hotels. Two of their selections are located in Lisbon; Olissippo Lapa Palace and Four Seasons Hotel Ritz. These Lisbon hotels were the only ones earning a top 100 spot in the entire Iberian Peninsula. They ranked 31st and 99th, respectively. And 2nd and 10th as the Top Large City Hotels in Europe.
3. Packages/ Deals
Vidago Palace Detox Program - Save a week of your life for a detox at Vidago Palace, and your body will thank you for it. Try Detox Express or Detox total, treatments that do as much for your body as they will do for your mind, through various unique programs that allow you to rejuvenate, energize and revitalize. Enjoy a combination of massages and treatments with thermal Vidago water, complemented with a personalized nutrition and fitness plan. For more information, call (+351)276990900 or email reservations@vidagopalace.com
4. Events
Portugal's 6th Annual International Gourmet Festival- Featuring Michelin-Starred chefs at Vila Joya in Albufeira-Guia (Algarve) January 13 - 23, 2012. This is a sole food festival in which only Michelin-starred chefs are the participants. For the first time in the festival's history a luncheon will be prepared on the Malhadinha Nova Vineyard and will give guests of the festival an opportunity to bask in the atmosphere of one of Portugal?'s most beautiful vineyards and farms. What the chef will be serving is what is raised or grown on the property giving new meaning to "farm to table" dining. In addition, there will be daytime festivities for guests to partake of including golf tournaments, wine and spirits tastings; workshops on Pata Negra and chocolate making, etc. There will also be a Go-Kart Race - "The Battle of the Michelin Chefs," where the masters will go head-to-head in a different type of competition. Travel packages are available so guests can tailor their experience to their own personal needs. Guests can choose between staying at the Vila Joya or other hotels including CS Sao Rafael Hotel. The silver package includes 3 days of events and dinners plus a round trip economy class airline ticket, the gold package 5 days, and the platinum package all 10 days. The gold and platinum packages include business class tickets, spa treatments, and transportation to and from the property.
5. Eats
Gourmet - The best Portuguese cheese - Queijaria Guilherme from Serpa (Alentejo) won a national contest with cured sheep's milk cheese. Gold Medal in National Competition for Traditional Portuguese Cheese is the recognition of quality for the product launched last February by Queijaria Guilherme. The company, founded ten years ago on the left bank of the river Guadiana, also received Honorable Mention for Atabafado fresh goat cheese in the contest "3 Days of Cheese." Both competitions are conducted with blind tastings and the juries are composed of experts in cheese. According to the notes of evidence "cheese bouquet delivers a smooth, clean and slightly acidic. Its texture is creamy in the mouth.”
6. Contact Information
See our newsfeed at www.insideportugaltravel.com
Miguel CarvalhoPortuguese National Tourism Office
www.visitportugal.com
V: 646 7230213
Jayme H. Simoes
Louis Karno & Company Communications, LLC
V: 603 2245566
Portugal National Tourist Office