Palmela closer to joining the Camino de Santiago

The Setúbal Peninsula is one step closer to becoming part of the Camino de Santiago. The announcement was made on July 25, during the opening ceremony of the Saint James Day celebrations, promoted by Palmela City Council at the Church of “Santiago do Castelo”. The session was attended by writer Fátima Rodrigues, collector Arlindo Garcia, and Lígia Carvalho from the council’s Tourism and Development Division.

The highlight was the work carried out over the past two years by the Via Lusitana Pilgrim Association, responsible for the technical study and proposed route of the new Setúbal Peninsula variant, submitted earlier this year to the “Entidade Regional de Turismo da Região de Lisboa” (Regional Tourism Authority of Lisboa). The proposed route covers approximately 90 kilometres and was defined in coordination with the municipalities of Palmela and Setúbal. It is divided into four stages: Casebres–Águas de Moura (30 km), Águas de Moura–Setúbal (24 km), Setúbal–Vendas de Azeitão (18 km), and Vendas de Azeitão–Barreiro (17 km). The third stage crosses the municipality of Palmela.

Maria João Camolas, the councillor for Culture, explained that Palmela City Council had submitted a cooperation agreement proposal involving the six municipalities included in the project (Alcácer do Sal, Barreiro, Montemor-o-Novo, Vendas Novas, Palmela and Setúbal), the Via Lusitana Pilgrim Association, and the Regional Tourism Boards of Lisboa and Alentejo. The aim is to create the conditions needed for the Association to proceed with the purchase and installation of official waymarking, funded entirely by the National Tourism Board. The councillor expressed her hope that the funding would indeed move forward.

The final decision now rests with the “Entidade Regional de Turismo da Região de Lisboa”, whose executive committee is scheduled to meet on July 30. According to Maria João Camolas, the implementation of this project would be “a dream that honours the heritage of a historic town and its legacy.”

As part of the Saint James Day celebrations, two exhibitions were also inaugurated and will remain open to the public until August 24: one on Santiago religious imagery, featuring items from Arlindo Garcia’s private collection, and a photography exhibition by Ivo Rama Pinto on the French Route.

Source:  O Setubalense