Valença, Porto and Tomar also celebrated Pilgrim’s Day

In addition to Guimarães, which took part in Santiago de Compostela with promotional activities for the Torres Route, as previously reported by Via Lusitana, other Portuguese localities marked Pilgrim’s Day with cultural, symbolic and spiritual initiatives highlighting the significance of the Camino de Santiago.

In Valença, the celebrations took place on October 13, Pilgrim’s Day, with a special welcome for pilgrims at the Tourism Office in the Fortress. Blue wristbands bearing the inscription “Valença sem Fronteiras – Este é o Caminho” (“Valença without Borders – This is the Way”) and bags of Biscoitas Milhas de Valença, a traditional convent sweet originating from the former Bom Jesus Convent, were handed out. The municipality underlined its key role as the point where the Central Route, the Coastal Route and the Torres Route converge.

In Tomar, the programme extended over two days, October 11 and 12. On Saturday, there was a visit to the Church of Santiago and Medieval Lisbon, and on Sunday a Solemn Pilgrim Mass took place at the Church of São João Baptista, followed by the CORPUS concert at the Cristo Convent, dedicated to Queen Saint Isabel on the 700th anniversary of her pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

In Porto, the União Internacional de Peregrinos Jacobeus (International Union of Jacobean Pilgrims) is holding an exhibition in the atrium of the Paço Episcopal between October 13 and 17. The exhibition highlights Porto’s importance as a Jacobean departure point and features writer Carlos Clemente, author of ‘O Outro Lado do Caminho’ (The Other Side of the Camino), who is signing copies of his book.