Thursday, October 31, 2024

Exploring the Culture of Ferreira do Zêzere

The Ferreira River Valley

 

Ferreira do Zêzere is a wonderful small town in the center of Portugal, however, it is not a tourism center. Having the chance to spend two weeks there on an artist’s residency allowed me to explore some of the local sights and events that someone just passing through might miss.



Market Days

 



Ferreira do Zêzere has market days twice every week, on Mondays and Saturdays. Both days offer a choice of local food, fruit and vegetables, meat, and fish. On Mondays the market expands to include home goods. These can include cooking utensils and ceramic dishes, hardware fixtures, and other necessities.



 

Music Festivals

 

Amigos das Concertinas A.C.D.R. Chã0 da Serra


Ferreira Do Zêzere hosts several music festivals every year, but the biggest one happens in August. This festival celebrates both local folk traditions and some major Portuguese pop-stars. For three days, the plaza in front of the town’s market is transformed into a performance space. Two stages are built, one for the folk groups and one for the professional acts. One side of the plaza is lined with booths sponsored by local organizations selling food and beer.




The folk acts performed early in the evening, helping to keep traditional music and dance alive. They were followed by the big name, invited performers, who took the stage at around 10 PM. After that a DJ kept the party going until the early hours of the morning.




 

Capela de São Pedro do Castro



 

Late one afternoon, one of my hosts came by and said he wanted to take me to see and photograph someplace “special.” His destination was the Capela de São Pedro do Castro (the Saint Peter of Castro Chapel), a small chapel with a beautiful view. The chapel was built during the 15th century as part of pilgrimage route. It sits on the remains of a destroyed Roman fort and temple, built at a strategic position overlooking the Zêzere River.







While the chapel was closed, its exterior is beautiful especially in contrast to the surrounding mountains. It provides wonderful panoramas of the river valley. Its distance from both towns and roads make it a quiet place for contemplation. 






Spending time in a small town can be quiet and relaxing. It also offers local cultural events to explore and enjoy.

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Ferreira do Zêzere, Portugal

City Hall

 

When I travel, I enjoy getting away from the major tourist attractions, to visit small towns, and explore how people live. This summer I had the chance to visit the town of Ferreira do Zêzere, in Portugal. In fact, I spent two weeks in this lovely town, and had the opportunity to delve deeply into life there.

 


 

Ferreira do Zêzere is a small town in the center of Portugal. It was founded in the 13th century by Pedro Ferreira. Today, the area is home to Portugal’s second largest producer of eggs, and all of the support industries for those farms. This provides residents with steady jobs, and keeps the area’s economy bustling.


 

As always, I am fascinated by the architecture of a place. The ways in which a town develops and grows. How has housing changed over the years. I love the mix of old and new buildings.
















 

Like many small towns, Ferreira do Zêzere has the usual mix of municipal buildings - city hall, theater, fire station. Unlike many small towns in the U.S., all of these were in outstanding shape, either recently built or renovated.


Public Library

Public Toilets

Fire House

Cemetery

Being in Ferreira do Zêzere for two weeks allowed me to explore more than its buildings and homes. Over the next two weeks I will share some of the things that its residents do to pass the time. 

 



Thursday, October 17, 2024

Walking Through the Old City of Tomar, Portugal

 


The old city of Tomar, Portugal, is old. It was founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, the Grand master of the Knights Templar in Portugal. The city played a key role in fighting invasions by the Moors, especially in 1190.



 



As in much of the Iberian Peninsula, the houses here are painted white to help ward off the heat of the day. Walking through the streets of Tomar is much the same today as it has been for centuries. The buildings present unadorned walls to the street, but evidence of courtyards and the interior life can be seen, if you know where to look.












 



In the center of town is the Praça da República, its main plaza Here you will find City Hall, the church of St. John the Baptist, and a statue of Gualdim Pais.



 


Tomar sits along the Nabão River. Towards the northern part of the old city, the Parque do Mouchão offers a literal island of green in the middle of the river. The park sits among several dams that help control the flow of water and direct some of that flow into the canal that used to power the city’s factories. 










 

The park is a wonderful, shady respite from the summer heat. The island is home to a play ground for children, and the Mouchão Water Wheel, a full size model of the type used to generate power in the middle ages.

 

 

 

Walking around Tomar is a wonderful way to spend time exploring part of Portugal’s past. But hurry, get there before the hordes of tourists discover it.