The photography exhibition “Festa da Pinha”, with texts by Laura Carlos and photographs by Laura Carlos and Pedro Barros, began by showing itself outdoors at Largo da Liberdade, in Estoi, on the 1st and 2nd of May, in a kind of back to the origins. That's where the Festa starts from and precisely on those days.
Now, until September 30, the exhibition can be seen at the Estoi Delegation of the União de Freguesias de Conceição e Estoi (Faro).
The exhibition aims to enhance the Pinha Festival, illustrating some of its high points, through color and black and white photographs, recorded between 2010 and 2015. Here you can see the details, the result of individual and collective creativity, which give a unique and peculiar aspect to this manifestation.
The exhibition “is also presented with a documentary nature, with the aim of promoting the safeguarding and valuing of this important manifestation of the Algarve's Intangible Cultural Heritage”, emphasizes its authors.
The Festa da Pinha, also known as the Festa da Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz or Festa dos Almocreves, is «an intangible cultural heritage of undeniable value, especially for the people of the village of Estoi who keep alive the tradition of A Pinha with fervor. and pride».
On May 2, in Estoi (Faro), the traditional and popular pilgrimage dedicated to Our Lady of Pé da Cruz takes place. The celebration, which is thought to have a centuries-old origin, is in honor of the ancestors, the muleteers who made the journey between Algarve and Baixo-Alentejo, for commercial exchanges, and on their return they thanked the safe journey and the success of the business carried out.
Preparations for the Festival begin days before and, on May 1st, “Ataca-se o Maio” is carried out and the tradition of the “Maios” is fulfilled, waking up the village all dressed up.
The afternoon is dedicated to preparing the animals and decorating the vehicles for the following day's procession. On May 2nd, the Festa takes place. What was once simple and reserved for men, is currently a pilgrimage, in which hundreds of people participate in formal dress, without restriction of gender or age.
The route is done on horseback, in animal-drawn vehicles or in tractors with trailers, decorated with vegetation, flowers and verses dedicated to the “Pinha”.
Early in the morning, after a blessing from the priest, they leave the village's ring towards the Ludo pine forest, where they have a picnic.
The abarcas, the rope pulls and dancing are part of the conviviality. In the late afternoon they return to the village where they arrive at nightfall.
At the entrance, at Coiro da Burra, the pilgrims proceed by the light of torches in their hands and fireworks, announcing their arrival.
The pilgrimage turns into an exuberant parade of joy, light and colors, accompanied by Vivas à Pinha, Vivas à Almocreves and Vivas à Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz.
At the end, they thank their patroness who waits for them in the decorated hermitage, with the doors open and a large fire at the entrance, into which the pilgrims pour the sauce of aromatic herbs they brought from Ludo.
The most traditional and characteristic festival in the village of Estoi ends with a religious celebration, on the 3rd, the day of the Invention of the Holy Cross, previously organized with pomp and circumstance by the Confraternity of Nossa Senhora de ao Pé da Cruz, at the end of the XNUMXth century. XIX.
The exhibition has the support of the União das Freguesias de Conceição and Estoi and the Regional Directorate of Cultural of the Algarve, and can be visited until 30 September, at the Estoi Delegation of the União das Freguesias (former market building – Largo Ossónoba, 71) , Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 14:00 pm to 18:00 pm.
The authors:
Coordination, text and photography:
Laura Carlos has a degree in Design from the University of Algarve, Master in Cultural Management from the University of Algarve, with the dissertation entitled “Cultural Manifestation – Changes over time, Case Study – Festa da Pinha” (2011-2013).
Photographs:
Pedro Barros is an archaeologist at the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage. Since 1996, in addition to illustrating articles on Cultural Heritage, it has had individual thematic exhibitions, including “Algarve Doce” and “Cortiça” (organized by the Costume Museum of São Brás de Alportel).
The authors, in 2014, at Largo da Liberdade, in Estoi, have already held an exhibition on the theme entitled “Festa da Pinha, a manifestation of Intangible Cultural Heritage”.
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